Method of adapting electronic equipment structure for cable management

ABSTRACT

A method of adapting an electronic equipment structure for cable management, the method comprising: providing a cable manager having one or more cable finger units extending from a frame, the frame including at least one spine member having an extruded construction and one or more ledges that extend along a length thereof; providing an accessory rod assembly having a base member and an accessory rod, wherein the base member includes a front-facing socket, a rear-facing hook, and a rotatable knob having a threaded end received within a threaded portion at a side of the base member, and wherein the accessory rod has an extruded construction and a generally uniform, at least partially cylindrical, cross-sectional shape; positioning the rear-facing hook of the base member against one side of the one or more ledges of the at least one spine member; rotating the rotatable knob such that the threaded end is wound within the threaded portion of the base member and bears on an opposite side of the one or more ledges of the at least one spine member, thereby clamping the at least one spine member between the rear-facing hook and the rotatable knob; and positioning a proximal end of the accessory rod within the front-facing socket of the base member such that the accessory rod extends therefrom into a cable management space.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a U.S. continuation patent application of,and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, U.S. nonprovisional patentapplication Ser. No. 16/203,050, filed Nov. 28, 2018, which '050application published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. US2019/0098792 A1 on Mar. 28, 2019 and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 11,071,227on Jul. 20, 2021, which '050 application, the publication thereof, andthe patent issuing therefrom are each incorporated herein by referencein their entirety, and which '050 application is a U.S. continuationpatent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to,U.S. nonprovisional patent application Ser. No. 15/843,879, filed Dec.15, 2017, which '879 application published as U.S. Patent ApplicationPublication No. US 2018/0110153 A1 on Apr. 19, 2018 and issued as U.S.Pat. No. 10,271,452 on Apr. 23, 2019, which '879 application, thepublication thereof, and the patent issuing therefrom are eachincorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '879application is a U.S. continuation patent application of, and claimspriority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to, International Application No.PCT/US2017/043892, filed Jul. 26, 2017 and designating the U.S., which'892 application published as International Publication No. WO2018/022721 A1 on Feb. 1, 2018, which '892 application and theapplication publication thereof are each incorporated herein byreference in their entirety, and which '892 application, for purposes ofthe United States, is a U.S. nonprovisional patent application of, andclaims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to, U.S. provisional patentapplication Ser. No. 62/366,900, filed Jul. 26, 2016 and entitled,“FEATURES FOR CABLE MANAGERS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT STRUCTURES,”which '900 application is incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety, and the '050 application is a U.S. continuation patentapplication of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 120 to,International Application No. PCT/US2017/043892, filed Jul. 26, 2017 anddesignating the U.S., which '892 application published as InternationalPublication No. WO 2018/022721 A1 on Feb. 1, 2018, which '892application and the application publication thereof are eachincorporated herein by reference in their entirety, and which '892application, for purposes of the United States, is a U.S. nonprovisionalpatent application of, and claims priority under 35 U.S.C. § 119(e) to,U.S. provisional patent application serial No. 62/366,900, filed Jul.26, 2016 and entitled, “FEATURES FOR CABLE MANAGERS AND OTHER ELECTRONICEQUIPMENT STRUCTURES,” which '900 application is incorporated herein byreference in its entirety.

COPYRIGHT STATEMENT

All of the material in this patent document is subject to copyrightprotection under the copyright laws of the United States and othercountries. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimilereproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure,as it appears in official governmental records but, otherwise, all othercopyright rights whatsoever are reserved.

BACKGROUND OF THE PRESENT INVENTION Field of the Present Invention

The present invention relates generally to cable managers and relatedelectronic equipment structures, and, in particular, to flexibleconstruction, cable accessories, and doors.

Background

Current and prior cable manager designs generally utilize a U-shapedchassis to which the peripheral parts of the frame are welded, rivetedor otherwise attached. The chassis and other parts are usuallyconstructed of sheet metal or injection-molded plastic with discretepatterns for attaching parts and accessories.

Current design methods use sheet metal, wire mesh or plastic parts toprovide features for managing and/or supporting cabling and othercabling equipment or for attaching accessories that perform thisfunction. Unfortunately, these features are generally provided indiscrete patterns that limit the adjustability and flexibility oftendesired when managing cabling and other equipment within the manager.Using the features and accessories usually requires hardware and toolsfor installation, adjustment and/or removal. The chassis constructionalso makes it difficult to provide gentle cable entry and exit into themanager (i.e., for maintaining bend radii and proper support).

With regard to cable management accessories, current and prior cablemanager designs generally utilize a sheet metal frame, sheet metal panelor bracket, or wire mesh with a grid pattern or other type of featurepattern. As a result, accessories are usually installed using hardwareand tools and are only adjustable in incremental amounts along a patternof features or holes within the frame or attachment surface, if at all.Some accessories do have toolless installation methods but are stilllimited in their application and installation location. Furthermore,much of the space in and around the manager is also wasted asaccessories cannot be configured or installed to reach the entire spacewithin the manager.

With regard to doors, particularly for cable managers, it is well knownto provide doors that feature hinges at both left and right sides.However, conventional designs generally allow the door to swing on asingle bearing surface. Unfortunately, doors that simply swing on apivot point often sag. When such a door is closed, the bottomedges/surfaces of the door and/or hinge area often make contact with thedoor frame. As a result, such a door must be pushed, with some effort,back into its closed state. Some door designs address this issue with aramp-style feature (usually made of plastic or sheet metal) tocompensate for sag of the door, which may allow the door to be in anappropriate position for the latch mechanism to engage. However, knowndoor designs maintain a certain level of interference and drag along thebottom of the door as it closes, regardless of whether they must bepushed into place by the user or ramped up into position. In suchdesigns, the bottom of the door or hinge area drags or slides along theframe and creates a frictional force opposite the desired direction ofmotion.

For the foregoing reasons and/or other reasons, improvements in cablemanager structures, accessories, and doors are needed.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION

Some exemplary embodiments of the present invention may overcome one ormore of the above disadvantages and other disadvantages not describedabove, but the present invention is not required to overcome anyparticular disadvantage described above, and some exemplary embodimentsof the present invention may not overcome any of the disadvantagesdescribed above.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to one aspect is acable manager frame design that increases flexibility, modularity andefficient use of the cable manager frame and space through the use of atrack system.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable manager frame and accessory system design that allows easyinstallation, adjustment and removal of the accessories within a highlyflexible and configurable space within and around the manager.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is adoor hinge set for cable managers, IT cabinets, and other enclosuresthat allows the door to open both left and right in the same manner andremoves interference as the door closes to allow it to open and closesmoothly and without drag or interference.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable manager. The cable manager includes a backbone assembly and atleast one side wall extending from the backbone assembly. The at leastone side wall optionally includes one or more cable finger units. Thebackbone assembly includes a spine member having an extrudedconstruction. The spine member includes one or more channels extendingsubstantially an entire length thereof to facilitate easy attachment,removal and/or repositioning of a structure relative to the spinemember.

In a feature of this aspect, the backbone assembly may include a pair oflateral members, each having an extruded construction, to which thespine member is interconnected via a mounting bracket. In a furtherfeature of this aspect, adjustment of a position of the spine memberrelative to the lateral members may be infinite along a length of thelateral members.

In another feature of this aspect, the structure may be an accessory rodthat extends transversely away from the spine member. In furtherfeatures of this aspect, the accessory rod may be part of an accessoryrod assembly that includes a knob member threaded through a base member,wherein tightening of the knob member secures the accessory rod relativeto the spine member; the accessory rod may be part of an accessory rodassembly that includes a cam mechanism for securing the accessory rodrelative to the spine member; the accessory rod may have an extrudedconstruction; the cable manager may further include at least onehalf-spool accessory, securable to the accessory rod or anotherstructure via a snap mechanism, for routing and/or arranging cablesrelative to the cable manager; and/or the cable manager may furtherinclude at least one cable finger accessory, securable to the accessoryrod or another structure via a cam and latch mechanism, for routingand/or arranging cables relative to the cable manager.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable manager may further includeat least one strap/buckle accessory that includes a flexible strap forbundling cables, a buckle for accommodating the flexible strap and abuckle support that is securable within a channel of the spine member oranother structure having an extruded construction. In a further featureof this aspect, the buckle may be rotatable.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable manager may further includea door assembly, wherein: the at least one side wall is a first sidewall; a second side wall is disposed at an opposite end of the backboneassembly and extends from the backbone assembly in the same direction asthe first side wall; the door assembly includes a door panel and a hingeset, at each side of the door panel, that hingedly secures the doorpanel to distal ends of the first and second side walls; and each hingeset includes a corresponding latch assembly that facilitatesinterference-free opening and closing of the door panel at either side.In a further feature of this aspect, the door assembly may be mountedbetween support arms disposed at upper and lower ends of each of thefirst and second side walls. In a further feature of this aspect, eachlatch assembly may include a latch, a gear mechanism, and a retractablebolt operationally connected to the gear mechanism, such that rotationof the latch retracts the bolt within a hinge body of the correspondinghinge set, thereby permitting the door panel to be opened. In a furtherfeatures of this aspect, at the mounted side of the door assembly as thedoor panel is opened, a lifter disk disposed in the lower support armmay operate in conjunction with a torsion spring to interface with thehinge set at the mounted side of the door assembly, thereby facilitatinginterference-free opening and closing of the door panel. In a furtherfeature of this aspect, as the door panel is opened, a hinge body of thehinge set at the mounted side of the door assembly is forced upwardalong a lifting ramp of the lifter disk until reaching a bearingsurface, at which point the door panel is able to freely rotate. In afurther feature of this aspect, as the door panel is closed, the hingebody may engage the lifter disk, causing the lifter disk to rotate withrotation of the door panel and against a bias in the correspondingtorsion spring, thereby maintaining the door panel in a lifted state andfacilitating interference-free closing of the door panel.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable manager substantially as shown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is anaccessory rod, for installation within a cable manager, substantially asshown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is ahalf-spool accessory, for installation within a cable manager,substantially as shown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable finger accessory, for installation within a cable manager,substantially as shown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is astrap/buckle accessory, for installation within a cable manager,substantially as shown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable manager frame and accessory system substantially as shown anddescribed.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is adoor hinge set substantially as shown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is amethod of assembling and/or using a cable frame and accessory systemsubstantially as shown and described.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable manager and accessory system. The cable manager and accessorysystem includes a backbone assembly, upper and lower support armsextending forwardly from the backbone assembly, and at least one sidewall interconnected between the upper and lower support arms. The atleast one side wall includes one or more cable finger units. Thebackbone assembly includes a spine member, having an extrudedconstruction and a generally uniform cross-sectional shape. The spinemember includes one or more channels extending along a length thereof tofacilitate attachment, removal and/or repositioning of a structurerelative to the spine member.

In a feature of this aspect, the spine member includes at least onecurved surface to provide a bend radius for cables.

In another feature of this aspect, the backbone assembly furtherincludes a lateral member, having an extruded construction and agenerally uniform cross-sectional shape, to which the spine member isconnected.

In another feature of this aspect, adjustment of a position of the spinemember relative to the lateral member is infinite along a length of thelateral member.

In another feature of this aspect, each of the spine member and thelateral member utilize the same extruded construction such that thecross-sectional shape of the spine member is the same as thecross-sectional shape of the lateral member, and the lateral memberincludes one or more channels extending along a length thereof.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of each ofthe spine member and the lateral member include at least one T-slotchannel capable of receiving a head of a fastener and at least onescrew-in channel capable of receiving a screw-in fastener.

In another feature of this aspect, the lateral member is connected to anend of the spine member via a mounting bracket.

In another feature of this aspect, the mounting bracket includes araised lip for alignment of the lateral member relative to the spinemember.

In another feature of this aspect, a first fastener extends through afirst aperture of the mounting bracket and is received longitudinallywithin the at least one screw-in channel of the spine member, and asecond fastener extends through a second aperture of the mountingbracket and is received within the at least one T-slot channel of thelateral member.

In another feature of this aspect, the second fastener is braced withinthe T-slot channel of the lateral member with a spring nut seated withinthe T-slot channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the lateral member is a first lateralmember arranged at a top of the spine member, the backbone assemblyfurther includes a second lateral member arranged at a bottom of thespine member, the spine member is interconnected between the first andsecond lateral members, and adjustment of a position of the spine memberrelative to the first and second lateral members is infinite alonglengths of the first and second lateral members.

In another feature of this aspect, the structure includes an accessoryrod assembly having an accessory rod that extends transversely away fromthe spine member.

In another feature of this aspect, adjustment of a position of theaccessory rod assembly relative to the spine member is infinite along alength of the spine member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod assembly includes abase member having at least one hook for placement against a ledge ofone of the one or more channels of the spine member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod assembly furtherincludes a rotatable knob having a threaded shaft that is receivedwithin a threaded portion of the base member, rotation of the rotatableknob in a selected direction positions a distal end of the threadedshaft against a wall of one of the one or more channels of the spinemember, and positioning of the distal end of the threaded shaft againstthe wall, together with placement of the at least one hook against theledge, clamps the accessory rod assembly to the spine member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod assembly furtherincludes a rotatable cam lever mounted to the base member and having atoothed cam, rotation of the rotatable cam lever in a selected directionpositions the toothed cam against a wall of one of the one or morechannels of the spine member, and positioning of the toothed cam againstthe wall, together with placement of the at least one hook against theledge, clamps the accessory rod assembly to the spine member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod has an extrudedconstruction and a generally uniform cross-sectional shape, and theaccessory rod includes one or more channels extending along a lengththereof.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable manager and accessorysystem further includes at least one half-spool accessory mounted on theaccessory rod for routing and/or arranging cables.

In another feature of this aspect, adjustment of a position of the atleast one half-spool accessory relative to the accessory rod is infinitealong a length of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one half-spool accessoryincludes a plurality of resilient snaps for retaining the at least onehalf-spool accessory on the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, each resilient snap is engaged with aledge of one of the one or more channels of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one half-spool accessoryincludes a curved central portion to provide a bend radius for cables.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one half-spool accessoryincludes one or more end flanges for retaining cables against the curvedcentral portion.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one half-spool accessoryincludes one or more standoffs for positioning the at least onehalf-spool accessory against the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one half-spool accessoryis a first half-spool accessory mounted to an upper side of theaccessory rod, the cable manager further includes a second half-spoolaccessory mounted to a lower side of the accessory rod, and the firstand second half-spool accessories together define a generallycylindrical spool shape.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod include at least one T-slot channel for accommodating thehead of a fastener to facilitate attachment of a separate structure tothe accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod include at least one screw-in channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one screw-in channel isan extension of the at least one T-slot channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod include at least one grip channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable manager and accessorysystem further includes at least one cable finger accessory secured tothe accessory rod for routing cables and/or accommodating otheraccessories.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one cable fingeraccessory includes first and second clamp sections connected to oneanother via a first hinge and permitted to rotate relative to oneanother, a cable finger extending from at least one of the clampsections, and a clamp mechanism that couples distal ends of the pair ofclamp sections together around a section of the accessory rod, therebyclamping the at least one cable finger accessory to the accessory rodand arranging the at least one cable finger accessory in an installedconfiguration.

In another feature of this aspect, the clamp mechanism includes a camlever link connected to the distal end of one of the first and secondclamp sections via a second hinge, a cam lever connected to a distal endof the cam lever link via a third hinge, the cam lever having a camstructure at a proximal end thereof, and a cam trough extending from thedistal end of the other of the first and second clamp sections.

In another feature of this aspect, in the installed configuration, thecam structure is received within the cam trough, and the cam lever isseated against the clamp section from which the cam trough extends.

In another feature of this aspect, the cam trough includes a notch forreceiving the cam lever link when the at least one cable fingeraccessory is in the installed configuration.

In another feature of this aspect, in the installed configuration, amale snap structure extending from the cam lever is received within afemale snap receptacle of the clamp section from which the cam troughextends.

In another feature of this aspect, one or both of the clamp sectionsinclude at least one locating rib that engages the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, in the installed configuration, theat least one locating rib is seated in the at least one grip channel ofthe accessory rod to prevent free rotation of the at least one cablefinger accessory.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one cable fingeraccessory is rotatable to different positions on the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable finger includes one or moreopenings to accommodate a cable strap/buckle accessory.

In another feature of this aspect, a distal end of the cable fingerincludes an overhang to retain routed cables.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable manager and accessorysystem further includes a cable strap/buckle accessory, secured to oneof the spine member or the lateral member, for bundling and/or retainingcables.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable strap/buckle accessoryincludes a buckle that is rotatably paired with a buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle is rotatable relative tothe buckle support in either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwisedirection.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable strap/buckle accessoryfurther includes a strap slidably engaged with the buckle.

In another feature of this aspect, ends of the strap are securable toone another with hook-and-loop fasteners.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle includes a generally roundsocket, the buckle support may include a generally round snap, and thegenerally round snap is received within the socket by snap-fit to securethe buckle to the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, the snap is a split snap having atleast a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another tofacilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle includes at least onearcuate boss that is generally coaxial with the generally round socket,the buckle support includes a trough that is generally coaxial with thegenerally round snap, when the buckle is secured to the buckle support,the at least one arcuate boss is received within the trough, and the atleast one arcuate boss is slidable within the trough to facilitaterotation of the buckle relative to the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle support includes amounting boss that is received within one of the one or more channels ofthe spine member or the lateral member.

In another feature of this aspect, the mounting boss is received withina T-slot channel and is rotated such that the mounting boss is blockedfrom passage through the T-slot channel, thereby securing the cablestrap/buckle accessory to the backbone assembly.

In another feature of this aspect, the mounting boss includes agenerally rectangular shape having two rounded corners disposed oppositefrom one another and two generally right-angle corners disposed oppositefrom one another, the rounded corners facilitate rotation of themounting boss within the T-slot channel by approximately 90 degrees to alocked configuration, and the generally right-angle corners preventrotation of the mounting boss within the T-slot channel beyondapproximately 90 degrees to help retain the mounting boss in the lockedconfiguration.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is anaccessory rod assembly for use in connection with a cable manager. Theaccessory rod assembly includes a base member and an accessory rodsecured to and extending from the base member. The accessory rod has anextruded construction and a generally uniform cross-sectional shapealong a length thereof. The base member is mountable to an extrudedsupport member of the cable manager, and adjustment of a position of thebase member relative to the extruded support member is infinite along alength of the extruded support member.

In a feature of this aspect, the base member includes at least one hookfor placement against a ledge of a channel of the extruded supportmember, the base member further includes a rotatable knob having athreaded shaft that is received within a corresponding threaded portion,and the base member is securable to the extruded support member byrotation of the rotatable knob in a selected direction to position adistal end of the threaded shaft against a wall of the same or adifferent channel of the extruded support member, thereby clamping aportion of the extruded support member between the hook and the distalend of the threaded shaft.

In another feature of this aspect, the base member includes at least onehook for placement against a ledge of a channel of the extruded supportmember, the base member further includes a rotatable cam lever having atoothed cam, and the base member is securable to the extruded supportmember by rotation of the rotatable cam lever in a selected direction soas to position the toothed cam against a wall of the same or a differentchannel of the extruded support member, thereby clamping a portion ofthe extruded support member between the hook and the toothed cam.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod includes one ormore channels extending along a length thereof.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod include at least one T-slot channel for accommodating thehead of a fastener to facilitate attachment of a separate structure tothe accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod include at least one screw-in channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least one screw-in channel isan extension of the at least one T-slot channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels include atleast one grip channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod assembly furtherincludes an end cap disposed at a distal end of the accessory rod.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is ahalf-spool accessory for use in for routing and/or arranging cables in acable manager. The half-spool accessory includes a curved supportportion to provide a bend radius for cables, front and rear end flangesdisposed at opposite ends of the curved support portion, and a pluralityof resilient snaps extending downwardly from the curved support portionfor retaining the half-spool accessory in a mounted configurationrelative to an extruded support member of the cable manager.

In a feature of this aspect, each resilient snap is engaged with a ledgeof a channel of the extruded support member that extends along a lengththereof.

In another feature of this aspect, a position of the half-spoolaccessory relative to the extruded support member is infinitelyadjustable along the length of the extruded support member.

In another feature of this aspect, the half-spool accessory furtherincludes one or more standoffs extending downwardly from the curvedsupport portion for positioning the half-spool accessory against theextruded support member.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more standoffs eachinclude a curved edge that interfaces with a corresponding curvedsurface of the extruded support member.

In another feature of this aspect, the curved support portion includesone or more notches along side edges thereof to provide finger grips forgripping the half-spool accessory.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable finger accessory for use in routing cables and/or accommodatingother accessories in a cable manager. The cable finger accessoryincludes first and second clamp sections connected to one another via afirst hinge and permitted to rotate relative to one another, a cablefinger extending from at least one of the clamp sections, a cam leverlink connected to the distal end of one of the first and second clampsections via a second hinge, a cam lever connected to a distal end ofthe cam lever link via a third hinge, the cam lever having a camstructure at a proximal end thereof, and a cam trough extending from thedistal end of the other of the first and second clamp sections. In aninstalled configuration, the pair of clamp sections is arranged around asection of an extruded support member of the cable manager, the camstructure is received within the cam trough, and the cam lever is seatedagainst the clamp section from which the cam trough extends, therebyclamping the cable finger accessory to the extruded support member.

In a feature of this aspect, the cam trough includes a notch forreceiving the cam lever link when the cable finger accessory is in theinstalled configuration.

In another feature of this aspect, in the installed configuration, amale snap structure extending from the cam lever is received within afemale snap receptacle of the clamp section from which the cam troughextends.

In another feature of this aspect, one or both of the clamp sectionsinclude at least one locating rib that engages the extruded supportmember.

In another feature of this aspect, in the installed configuration, theat least one locating rib is seated in a channel of the extruded supportmember to prevent free rotation of the at least one cable fingeraccessory.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable finger includes one or moreopenings to accommodate a cable strap/buckle accessory.

In another feature of this aspect, a distal end of the cable fingerincludes an overhang to retain routed cables.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is acable strap/buckle accessory for bundling and/or retaining cables in acable manager. The cable strap/buckle accessory includes a buckle havinga generally round socket, a buckle support having a generally roundsnap, and a strap slidably engaged with the buckle for bundling aplurality of cables. The generally round snap is received within thesocket by snap-fit to secure the buckle to the buckle support.

In a feature of this aspect, the buckle is rotatably paired with thebuckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle is rotatable relative tothe buckle support in either a clockwise direction or a counterclockwisedirection.

In another feature of this aspect, ends of the strap are securable toone another with hook-and-loop fasteners.

In another feature of this aspect, the snap is a split snap having atleast a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another tofacilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle includes at least onearcuate boss that is generally coaxial with the generally round socket,the buckle support includes a trough that is generally coaxial with thegenerally round snap, when the buckle is secured to the buckle support,the at least one arcuate boss is received within the trough, and the atleast one arcuate boss is slidable within the trough to facilitaterotation of the buckle relative to the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle support includes amounting boss that is receivable within a T-slot channel of an extrudedsupport member of the cable manager.

In another feature of this aspect, the mounting boss is rotatable withinthe T-slot channel to facilitate the mounting boss being blocked frompassage through the T-slot channel, thereby securing the cablestrap/buckle accessory to the extruded support member.

In another feature of this aspect, the mounting boss includes agenerally rectangular shape having two rounded corners disposed oppositefrom one another and two generally right-angle corners disposed oppositefrom one another, the rounded corners facilitate rotation of themounting boss within the T-slot channel by approximately 90 degrees to alocked configuration, and the generally right-angle corners preventrotation of the mounting boss within the T-slot channel beyondapproximately 90 degrees to help retain the mounting boss in the lockedconfiguration.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is anextruded support member for implementation in a cable manager. Theextruded support member includes an elongate body having a hollowinterior and defining a plurality of channels extending along itslength. The plurality of channels include a pair of screw-in channelsthat extend into the hollow interior of the elongate body at oppositesides thereof and a pair of T-slot channels extending away from opposedside walls of the elongate body. Each screw-in channel is sized andshaped to accommodate a threaded fastener received longitudinally at anend of the elongate body. Each T-slot channel is sized and shaped toreceive and retain a boss of a separate fastener.

In a feature of this aspect, opposed sides of the elongate body arecurved to provide a bend radius for cables.

In another feature of this aspect, the elongate body has a generallyuniform cross-sectional shape along its length.

In another feature of this aspect, one or more ledges extend from sidewalls of the elongate body for aligning with and/or accommodatingadditional fasteners.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspect is anextruded support member for implementation in a cable manager. Theextruded support member includes an at least partially cylindricalelongate body that defines a pair of T-slot channels arranged atopposite sides thereof that extend along a length of the at leastpartially cylindrical elongate body and a pair of screw-in channels thatextend along the length of the at least partially cylindrical elongatebody. Each T-slot channel is sized and shaped to receive and retain aboss of a separate fastener. Each of the pair of screw-in channels is anextension of a respective one of the pair of T-slot channels, and eachof the pair of screw-in channels is sized and shaped to accommodate athreaded fastener received longitudinally at an end of the at leastpartially cylindrical elongate body.

In a feature of this aspect, outward-facing sides of the at leastpartially cylindrical elongate body each include a plurality of gripchannels for accommodating a separate structure snap-fit thereto.

In another feature of this aspect, the at least partially cylindricalelongate body has a generally uniform cross-sectional shape along itslength.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspectincludes an IT enclosure with an easy-close door having a left side anda right side, including: a back assembly; a left side wall extendingforward from the back assembly; a right side wall extending forward fromthe back assembly; a top left door support and a bottom left doorsupport at a top front and a bottom front, respectively, of the leftside wall; a top right door support and a bottom right door support at atop front and a bottom front, respectively, of the right side wall; abottom cross member extending between the bottom left and right doorsupports; and a door assembly, including a door panel having a bottomedge, that is hingedly mounted between the top and bottom supportmembers on the left side so as to rotate relative thereto, and that ishingedly mounted between the top and bottom support members on the rightside so as to rotate relative thereto, wherein (1) the door assembly ismounted to the top support member on each respective side using a firsthinge assembly and a first hinge mount, (2) the door assembly is mountedto the bottom support member on each respective side using a secondhinge assembly and a second hinge mount, and (3) the first hinge mounts,the second hinge mounts, or both each include a lift-and-hold mechanism,and each corresponding hinge assembly includes a corresponding bearingstructure; wherein (1) in a first state, which is a closed state, thedoor panel is closed along both the left and right sides thereof, thebottom edge of the door panel is in close proximity to the bottom crossmember all the way across between the left and right sides, and thebottom edge of the door panel is at a first elevation, (2) in a secondstate, which is a first partially open state, the door panel has beenopened along the left side or the right side and has been rotated to apoint that engagement of the bearing structure with the lift-and-holdmechanism causes the door panel to be raised gradually as the door panelis rotated further open, thereby elevating the bottom edge of the doorpanel above the bottom cross member, (3) in a third state, which is asecond partially open state, the door panel has been further opened,relative to the first partially open state, such that during furtherrotation the bottom edge of the door panel is held at a fixed elevatedposition above the bottom cross member, and (4) in a fourth state, whichis a door closing state, the lift-and-hold mechanism interacts with thebearing structure to maintain the elevation of the bottom edge of thedoor panel above the bottom cross member during rotation of the doorpanel from the second partially open state back to the closed state,thereby avoiding interference between the bottom edge of the door paneland the bottom cross member.

In a feature of this aspect, the lift-and-hold mechanism includes alifter disk that rotates about the axis of rotation of the door panel.In further features, the lifter disk is carried in a door support; thelifter disk is disposed in a lifter nest in an end of the door support;the lifter disk is carried in the door assembly; the lifter diskincludes a lifting ramp that engages with the bearing structure togradually raise the door panel as the door panel is being opened; thelifting ramp is a first lifting ramp, wherein the bearing structureincludes a second lifting ramp, and wherein the first lifting rampengages with the second lifting ramp to gradually raise the door panelas the door panel is being opened; the lifter disk further includes afirst bearing surface and a second bearing surface, wherein the firstand second bearing surfaces are at different elevations, whereinengagement of the bearing structure with the first bearing surface holdsthe bottom edge of the door panel at a lower elevation, and whereinengagement of the bearing structure with the second bearing surfacemaintains the elevation of the bottom edge of the door panel above thebottom cross member; and/or the lifter disk further includes a firstengagement tooth, wherein the bearing structure further includes asecond engagement tooth, and wherein engagement between the first andsecond engagement teeth causes the lifting disk to rotate with rotationof the door panel while the door panel is being closed, therebymaintaining the elevation of the bottom edge of the door panel above thebottom cross member.

In another feature of this aspect, the IT enclosure is implemented as acable manager. In further features, the side walls include side wallfinger units to provide routing options for cables; the door supportsare integrated into the side wall finger units; and/or the door supportsare integrated into support arms.

In another feature of this aspect, the IT enclosure is implemented as acabinet.

In another feature of this aspect, each combination of a hinge assemblyand a hinge mount implements a latch assembly. In a further feature,each latch assembly includes a spring-loaded structure that istemporarily pushed aside by closure of the door panel and returns to aprevious position to the hold the door panel closed.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspectincludes a method of installing or arranging one or more cablemanagement accessories in a cable manager. The method includes providinga cable manager having a backbone assembly constructed from a spinemember and at least one lateral member, each of which has a generallyuniform cross-sectional shape. Each of the spine member and the at leastone lateral member includes one or more channels that extend alongrespective lengths thereof. A position of the spine member relative tothe at least one lateral member is infinitely adjustable along thelength of the lateral member. The method further includes securing anaccessory rod assembly to the spine member so that an accessory rod ofthe accessory rod assembly extends transversely away from the spinemember. A position of the accessory rod assembly relative to the spinemember is infinitely adjustable along a length of the spine member.

In a feature of this aspect, the cross-sectional shape of the spinemember is the same as the cross-sectional shape of the at least onelateral member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod assembly includes abase member, having at least one hook, and a rotatable knob having athreaded shaft that is received within a threaded portion of the basemember.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the accessory rod assemblyto the spine member includes: positioning the at least one hook againsta ledge of one of the one or more channels of the spine member; androtating the rotatable knob to position a distal end of the threadedshaft against a wall of the same or a different one of the one or morechannels of the spine member, thereby clamping the accessory rodassembly to the spine member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod assembly includes abase member, having at least one hook, and a rotatable cam lever mountedto the base member, the rotatable cam lever including a toothed cam.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the accessory rod assemblyto the spine member includes: positioning the at least one hook againsta ledge of one of the one or more channels of the spine member; androtating the rotatable cam lever to position the toothed cam against awall of the same or a different one of the one or more channels of thespine member, thereby clamping the accessory rod assembly to the spinemember.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod has a generallyuniform cross-sectional shape and one or more channels that extend alonga length thereof.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes mountinga half-spool accessory to the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, mounting the half-spool accessory tothe accessory rod includes: positioning a first resilient snap of thehalf-spool accessory to be seated beneath a ledge of a first one of theone or more channels of the accessory rod; rotating the half-spoolaccessory toward the accessory rod; engaging a second resilient snap ofthe half-spool accessory against a ledge of a second one of the one orchannels of the accessory rod; and applying a force to the half-spoolaccessory such that the second resilient snap is sufficiently deflectedto permit the second resilient snap to be seated beneath the ledge ofthe second one of the one or more channels of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, a position of the half-spoolaccessory relative to the accessory rod is infinitely adjustable alongthe length of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes removingthe half-spool accessory from the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, removing the half-spool accessoryfrom the accessory rod includes pulling the half-spool accessory offfrom a distal end of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, removing the half-spool accessoryfrom the accessory rod includes applying a force to the half-spoolaccessory to sufficiently deflect at least one of the first and secondresilient snaps so that such resilient snap is no longer seated beneaththe corresponding ledge of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes securinga cable finger accessory to the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable finger accessory includesfirst and second clamp sections connected to one another via a firsthinge and permitted to rotate relative to one another, a cable fingerextending from at least one of the first and second clamp sections, acam lever link connected to the distal end of the first clamp sectionvia a second hinge, a cam lever connected to a distal end of the camlever link via a third hinge, the cam lever having a cam structure at aproximal end thereof, and a cam trough extending from the distal end ofthe second clamp section.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable finger accessoryto the accessory rod includes: positioning the first clamp sectionagainst the accessory rod; rotating the second clamp section toward theaccessory rod so that the accessory rod is disposed between the firstand second clamp sections; rotating the cam lever link toward the secondclamp section; positioning the cam structure of the cam lever to beseated in the cam trough; and rotating the cam lever toward the secondclamp section to clamp the first and second clamp sections togetheraround the accessory rod with the cable finger extending in a firstdirection.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod includes a grip channel, and positioning the first clampsection against the accessory rod includes positioning a rib of thefirst clamp section within the grip channel of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting aportion of the cam lever link within a notch in the cam trough.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting amale snap structure on the cam lever within a female snap receptacle onthe second clamp section.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includesrepositioning the cable finger accessory so that the cable fingerextends in a second direction.

In another feature of this aspect, repositioning the cable fingeraccessory includes: rotating the cam lever away from the second clampsection to loosen the grip of the first and second clamp sectionsagainst the accessory rod; rotating the cable finger accessory relativeto the accessory rod so that the cable finger extends in the seconddirection; and rotating the cam lever toward the second clamp section toclamp the first and second clamp sections together around the accessoryrod with the cable finger extending in the second direction.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes securinga cable strap/buckle accessory to a cable finger of the cable fingeraccessory.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable strap/buckleaccessory includes: positioning a mounting boss, extending from a bucklesupport of the cable strap/buckle accessory, through a generallyrectangular opening of the cable finger; and rotating the mounting bossso that sides of the mounting boss extend transversely across thegenerally rectangular opening, thereby blocking the mounting boss frompassing back out from the opening.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes securinga cable strap/buckle accessory to one of the spine member or the atleast one lateral member.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable strap/buckleaccessory includes: positioning a mounting boss, extending from a bucklesupport of the cable strap/buckle accessory, into a T-shaped one of theone or more channels of either the spine member or the at least onelateral member; and rotating the mounting boss so that sides of themounting boss extend transversely into the T-shaped channel, therebyblocking the mounting boss from passing back out from the T-shapedchannel.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting agenerally round snap on the buckle support through a generally roundsocket of a buckle of the cable strap/buckle accessory.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle is capable of freerotation relative to the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable strap/buckleaccessory includes positioning an arcuate boss on the buckle within acorresponding trough on the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, the arcuate boss on the buckle isgenerally coaxial with the generally round socket, and the trough on thebuckle support is generally coaxial with the generally round snap.

In another feature of this aspect, the arcuate boss is slidable withinthe trough.

In another feature of this aspect, the snap is a split snap having atleast a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another tofacilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting astrap through one or more slots in the buckle.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspectincludes a method of installing a cable management accessory on anextruded support member having a generally uniform cross-sectionalshape. The method includes: providing an extruded support member havingat least one T-slot channel that extends along a length thereof; andsecuring an accessory rod assembly to the extruded support member, byclamping a base member of the accessory rod assembly to the at least oneT-slot channel, so that an accessory rod of the accessory rod assemblyextends transversely away from the extruded support member. A positionof the accessory rod assembly relative to the extruded support member isinfinitely adjustable along the length of the extruded support member.

In a feature of this aspect, the base member has at least one hook and arotatable knob having a threaded shaft that is received within athreaded portion of the base member.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the accessory rod assemblyto the extruded support member includes: positioning the at least onehook against a ledge of the at least one T-slot channel of the extrudedsupport member; and rotating the rotatable knob to position a distal endof the threaded shaft against a wall of the at least one T-slot channelof the extruded support member, thereby clamping the accessory rodassembly to the extruded support member.

In another feature of this aspect, the base member has at least one hookand a rotatable cam lever mounted to the base member, the rotatable camlever including a toothed cam.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the accessory rod assemblyto the extruded support member includes: positioning the at least onehook against a ledge of the at least one T-slot channel of the extrudedsupport member; and rotating the rotatable cam lever to position thetoothed cam against a wall of the at least one T-slot channel of theextruded support member, thereby clamping the accessory rod assembly tothe extruded support member.

In another feature of this aspect, the accessory rod has a generallyuniform cross-sectional shape and one or more channels that extend alonga length thereof.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes mountinga half-spool accessory to the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, mounting the half-spool accessory tothe accessory rod includes: positioning a first resilient snap of thehalf-spool accessory to be seated beneath a ledge of a first one of theone or more channels of the accessory rod; rotating the half-spoolaccessory toward the accessory rod; engaging a second resilient snap ofthe half-spool accessory against a ledge of a second one of the one orchannels of the accessory rod; and applying a force to the half-spoolaccessory such that the second resilient snap is sufficiently deflectedto permit the second resilient snap to be seated beneath the ledge ofthe second one of the one or more channels of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, a position of the half-spoolaccessory relative to the accessory rod is infinitely adjustable alongthe length of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes removingthe half-spool accessory from the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, removing the half-spool accessoryfrom the accessory rod includes pulling the half-spool accessory offfrom a distal end of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, removing the half-spool accessoryfrom the accessory rod includes applying a force to the half-spoolaccessory to sufficiently deflect at least one of the first and secondresilient snaps so that such resilient snap is no longer seated beneaththe corresponding ledge of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes securinga cable finger accessory to the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the cable finger accessory includes:first and second clamp sections connected to one another via a firsthinge and permitted to rotate relative to one another; a cable fingerextending from at least one of the first and second clamp sections; acam lever link connected to the distal end of the first clamp sectionvia a second hinge; a cam lever connected to a distal end of the camlever link via a third hinge, the cam lever having a cam structure at aproximal end thereof; and a cam trough extending from the distal end ofthe second clamp section.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable finger accessoryto the accessory rod includes: positioning the first clamp sectionagainst the accessory rod; rotating the second clamp section toward theaccessory rod so that the accessory rod is disposed between the firstand second clamp sections; rotating the cam lever link toward the secondclamp section; positioning the cam structure of the cam lever to beseated in the cam trough; and rotating the cam lever toward the secondclamp section to clamp the first and second clamp sections togetheraround the accessory rod with the cable finger extending in a firstdirection.

In another feature of this aspect, the one or more channels of theaccessory rod includes a grip channel, and positioning the first clampsection against the accessory rod includes positioning a rib of thefirst clamp section within the grip channel of the accessory rod.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting aportion of the cam lever link within a notch in the cam trough.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting amale snap structure on the cam lever within a female snap receptacle onthe second clamp section.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includesrepositioning the cable finger accessory so that the cable fingerextends in a second direction.

In another feature of this aspect, repositioning the cable fingeraccessory includes: rotating the cam lever away from the second clampsection to loosen the grip of the first and second clamp sectionsagainst the accessory rod; rotating the cable finger accessory relativeto the accessory rod so that the cable finger extends in the seconddirection; and rotating the cam lever toward the second clamp section toclamp the first and second clamp sections together around the accessoryrod with the cable finger extending in the second direction.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes securinga cable strap/buckle accessory to a cable finger of the cable fingeraccessory.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable strap/buckleaccessory includes: positioning a mounting boss, extending from a bucklesupport of the cable strap/buckle accessory, through a generallyrectangular opening of the cable finger; and rotating the mounting bossso that sides of the mounting boss extend transversely across thegenerally rectangular opening, thereby blocking the mounting boss frompassing back out from the opening.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspectincludes a method of installing a cable strap/buckle accessory on anextruded support member having a generally uniform cross-sectionalshape. The method includes: providing an extruded support member thatdefines at least one T-slot channel that extends along a length thereof;positioning a mounting boss, extending from a buckle support of thecable strap/buckle accessory, into the at least one T-shaped channel;and rotating the mounting boss so that sides of the mounting boss extendtransversely into the T-shaped channel, thereby blocking the mountingboss from passing back out from the at least one T-shaped channel.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting agenerally round snap on the buckle support through a generally roundsocket of a buckle of the cable strap/buckle accessory.

In another feature of this aspect, the buckle is capable of freerotation relative to the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, securing the cable strap/buckleaccessory includes positioning an arcuate boss on the buckle within acorresponding trough on the buckle support.

In another feature of this aspect, wherein the arcuate boss on thebuckle is generally coaxial with the generally round socket, and thetrough on the buckle support is generally coaxial with the generallyround snap.

In another feature of this aspect, the arcuate boss is slidable withinthe trough.

In another feature of this aspect, the snap is a split snap having atleast a pair of snap sections that are deflectable toward one another tofacilitate receipt of the split snap within the socket.

In another feature of this aspect, the method further includes fitting astrap through one or more slots in the buckle.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspectincludes a cable manager with an easy-close door having a left side anda right side, including: a back assembly; a left side wall extendingforward from the back assembly; a right side wall extending forward fromthe back assembly; a top left door support and a bottom left doorsupport at a top front and a bottom front, respectively, of the leftside wall; a top right door support and a bottom right door support at atop front and a bottom front, respectively, of the right side wall; abottom cross member extending between the bottom left and right doorsupports; a door assembly, including a door panel having a bottom edge,that is mounted between the top and bottom support members on the leftside via one or more hinge-latch mechanisms and that is likewise mountedbetween the top and bottom support members on the right side via one ormore hinge-latch mechanisms such that the one or more hinge-latchmechanisms on the right side may be released to permit the door panel tobe rotated relative to the one or more hinge-latch mechanism on the leftside and such that the one or more hinge-latch mechanisms on the leftside may be alternatively released to permit the door panel to berotated relative to the one or more hinge-latch mechanism on the rightside; a lift-and-hold mechanism and a bearing structure, one of which issupported by and carried on the rotatable door panel and the other ofwhich is supported by a static portion of the cable manager, wherein thelift-and-hold mechanism and bearing structure are jointly adapted tosupport the door panel during some or all of a process of hingedlyopening and closing the door panel from the left side, the right side,or both, wherein the lift-and-hold mechanism is movable relative to thestructure on which it is carried, and wherein the lift-and-holdmechanism includes a plurality of surface features for interaction withthe bearing structure as the door panel is rotated opened and closedabout an axis of rotation, the structures including a first bearingsurface that supports the door panel at a first elevation in an initialclosed state, a lifting surface that makes contact with the door panelwhile the door panel is being hinged opened and, through such contact,lifts the door panel to a second elevation as the door panel is openedfurther, the second elevation being higher than the first elevation, anda second bearing surface that subsequently supports the door panel atthe second elevation once the door panel is opened still further, andcontinues supporting the door panel at the second elevation while thedoor is subsequently being rotated from the still further opened stateback to the closed state, thereby avoiding interference between thebottom edge of the door panel and the bottom cross member while the doorpanel is being closed.

In a feature of this aspect, as the door is being rotated from the stillfurther opened state back to the closed state, at least a portion of thelift-and-hold mechanism moves, relative to the structure on which thelift-and-hold mechanism is carried, while continuing to support the doorpanel on the second bearing surface. In further features, thelift-and-hold mechanism further includes an engagement structure thatengages the door panel after the door panel is lifted to the secondelevation by the lifting surface, wherein such engagement causes themovable portion of the lift-and-hold mechanism to move when the doorpanel is moved; the door panel includes a corresponding engagementstructure that is engaged by the engagement structure of thelift-and-hold mechanism; the engagement structure of the lift-and-holdmechanism is an engagement tooth; the engagement tooth is a firstengagement tooth, wherein the bearing structure includes a secondengagement tooth, and wherein engagement between the first and secondengagement teeth causes the movable portion of the lift-and-holdmechanism to move with the door panel when the door panel is moved,thereby holding the door panel on the second bearing surface andmaintaining the elevation of the bottom edge of the door panel above thebottom cross member; the lifting surface includes a ramp that engageswith the bearing structure to gradually raise the door panel as the doorpanel is being opened; the ramp initially, as the door panel is beingopened, lifts the door panel to a third elevation that is higher thanthe second elevation, and wherein as the door panel is further opened,the door panel is dropped from the third elevation down to the secondelevation; the ramp is a first ramp, wherein the bearing structureincludes a second ramp, and wherein the first ramp engages with thesecond ramp to gradually raise the door panel as the door panel is beingopened; the movable portion of the lift-and-hold mechanism rotates aboutthe axis of rotation of the door panel; the movable portion of thelift-and-hold mechanism includes a lifter disk; the lifter disk isdisposed in a lifter nest; the lift-and-hold mechanism is supported andcarried by a first of the door supports, and wherein the lift-and-holdmechanism is movable relative to the first door support; thelift-and-hold mechanism includes a lifter disk that is disposed in alifter nest in an end of the first door support; the lift-and-holdmechanism is supported and carried by the door panel, and wherein thelift-and-hold mechanism is movable relative to the door panel; thehinge-latch mechanism includes a hinge mount having a hinge pin, andwherein movable portion of the lift-and-hold mechanism rotates aroundthe hinge pin; the lift-and-hold mechanism includes a spring that biasesthe movable portion of the lift-and-hold mechanism; when the bearingstructure is disengaged, by a user, from the second bearing surface, thespring returns to the movable portion of the lift-and-hold mechanism toan initial state; the movable portion of the lift-and-hold mechanismslides transversely along a front of the cable manager; the movableportion of the lift-and-hold mechanism includes a sliding lifter arm;and/or the bearing structure is incorporated into the hinge-latchmechanism.

In another feature of this aspect, the side walls include side wallfinger units to provide routing options for cables. In a furtherfeature, the door supports are integrated into the side wall fingerunits.

In another feature of this aspect, the door supports are integrated intosupport arms.

In another feature of this aspect, the hinge-latch mechanism includes ahinge assembly and a hinge mount. In further features, each combinationof a hinge assembly and a hinge mount implements a latch assembly; eachlatch assembly includes a spring-loaded structure that is temporarilypushed aside by closure of the door panel and returns to a previousposition to the hold the door panel closed; the bearing structure isincorporated into the hinge assembly; and/or the lift-and-hold mechanismis incorporated into the hinge mount.

Broadly defined, the present invention according to another aspectincludes an IT enclosure with an easy-close door having a left side anda right side, including: a back assembly; a left side wall extendingforward from the back assembly; a right side wall extending forward fromthe back assembly; a top left door support and a bottom left doorsupport at a top front and a bottom front, respectively, of the leftside wall; a top right door support and a bottom right door support at atop front and a bottom front, respectively, of the right side wall; abottom cross member extending between the bottom left and right doorsupports; a door assembly, including a door panel having a bottom edge,that is mounted between the top and bottom support members on the leftside via one or more hinge-latch mechanisms and that is likewise mountedbetween the top and bottom support members on the right side via one ormore hinge-latch mechanisms such that the one or more hinge-latchmechanisms on the right side may be released to permit the door panel tobe rotated relative to the one or more hinge-latch mechanism on the leftside and such that the one or more hinge-latch mechanisms on the leftside may be alternatively released to permit the door panel to berotated relative to the one or more hinge-latch mechanism on the rightside; a lift-and-hold mechanism and a bearing structure, one of which issupported by and carried on the rotatable door panel and the other ofwhich is supported by a static portion of the IT enclosure, wherein thelift-and-hold mechanism and bearing structure are jointly adapted tosupport the door panel during some or all of a process of hingedlyopening and closing the door panel from the left side, the right side,or both, wherein the lift-and-hold mechanism is movable relative to thestructure on which it is carried, and wherein the lift-and-holdmechanism includes a plurality of surface features for interaction withthe bearing structure as the door panel is rotated opened and closedabout an axis of rotation, the structures including a first bearingsurface that supports the door panel at a first elevation in an initialclosed state, a lifting surface that makes contact with the door panelwhile the door panel is being hinged opened and, through such contact,lifts the door panel to a second elevation as the door panel is openedfurther, the second elevation being higher than the first elevation, anda second bearing surface that subsequently supports the door panel atthe second elevation once the door panel is opened still further, andcontinues supporting the door panel at the second elevation while thedoor is subsequently being rotated from the still further opened stateback to the closed state, thereby avoiding interference between thebottom edge of the door panel and the bottom cross member while the doorpanel is being closed

Further areas of applicability of the present invention will becomeapparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It shouldbe understood that the detailed description and specific examples, whileindicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended forpurposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope ofthe invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Further features, embodiments, and advantages of the present inventionwill become apparent from the following detailed description withreference to the drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a cable manager in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a front isometric view of the cable manager of FIG. 1, shownwith a cover removed to reveal a backbone assembly and an accessory rodassembly;

FIG. 3 is a front isometric view of the cable manager of FIG. 1, shownattached to a two-post mounting rack;

FIG. 4A is an isometric view of a double-sided cable manager inaccordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4B is an isometric close-up partial view of the double-sided cablemanager of FIG. 4A;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the backbone assembly of FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 is an end view of an extrusion used for the spine member andlateral members of the backbone assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is an exploded fragmentary orthogonal view of upper portions ofthe backbone assembly of FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the backbone assembly of FIG. 2,shown with the spine member disposed toward a side thereof;

FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the backbone assembly of FIG. 8,shown with two spine members installed between the top and bottomlateral members;

FIG. 10 is an orthogonal view of a pair of support arms of the cablemanager of FIG. 1;

FIG. 11 is an enlarged orthogonal view of a portion of the accessory rodassembly of FIG. 2, shown mounted on a spine member of the backboneassembly;

FIG. 12 is a front view of the accessory rod assembly of FIG. 11, shownwith the end cap removed;

FIG. 13 is an exploded orthogonal view of the accessory rod assembly ofFIG. 11, shown in isolation;

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view of the accessory rodassembly and spine member of FIG. 12, taken along line 14-14;

FIG. 15 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view similar to that ofFIG. 14, but with the cam lever rotated upward to remove the bearingsurface of the cam teeth from the T-slot channel wall;

FIG. 16 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view similar to that ofFIG. 15, but with the accessory rod assembly shifted sideways to permitremoval or movement thereof;

FIG. 17 is a front cross-sectional view of the accessory rod of FIG. 13,taken along line 17-17, shown in isolation;

FIG. 18 is an enlarged orthogonal view of a portion of an alternativeaccessory rod assembly, for use in the cable manager of FIG. 2, shownmounted on a spine member of the backbone assembly;

FIG. 19 is a front view of the accessory rod assembly of FIG. 18, shownwith the end cap removed;

FIG. 20 is an exploded orthogonal view of the accessory rod assembly ofFIG. 18, shown in isolation;

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view of the accessory rodassembly and spine member of FIG. 19, taken along line 21-21;

FIG. 22 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view similar to that ofFIG. 21, but with the cam lever rotated upward to remove the bearingsurface of the cam teeth from the T-slot channel wall;

FIG. 23 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view similar to that ofFIG. 22, but with the accessory rod assembly shifted sideways to permitremoval or movement thereof;

FIG. 24 is a top front isometric view of the half-spool accessory ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 25 is a front elevation view of the half-spool accessory of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 26-28 are front views illustrating the installation of half-spoolaccessories on a rod, for example of the accessory rod assembly, whichis shown in isolation and in cross-section;

FIGS. 29A and 29B are a top front isometric view and a front elevationview, respectively, of the cable finger accessory of FIG. 2, shown in anopen, unclamped state;

FIGS. 30-33 are front views illustrating the installation of a cablefinger accessory on a rod, for example of the accessory rod assembly,which is shown in isolation and in cross-section;

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the cable strap/buckle accessory ofFIG. 2;

FIG. 35 is an exploded top isometric view of a cable strap/buckleaccessory of FIG. 2;

FIG. 36 is an exploded bottom isometric view of a cable strap/buckleaccessory of FIG. 2;

FIG. 37 is an elevation view of a cable strap/buckle accessory of FIG.2;

FIGS. 38A and 38B are top views illustrating the installation of a cablestrap/buckle accessory on the spine member of FIG. 2, which is shown inisolation and in cross-section;

FIG. 39 is a fragmentary front view of the accessory and spine member ofFIG. 38B;

FIGS. 40A and 40B are front views of a cable strap/buckle accessorybeing mounted on the cable finger accessory and rod of FIG. 33;

FIGS. 41-43 are perspective views of the cable strap/buckle accessory ofFIG. 34 illustrating the attachment of the strap to the buckle;

FIG. 44 is a fragmentary perspective view of an upper corner of a cablemanager like that shown in FIG. 2 but with various accessories and cablebundles installed therein;

FIG. 45 is a front elevation view of the door assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 46 is a rear elevation view of the door assembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 47 is an enlarged fragmentary rear elevation view of the doorassembly of FIG. 1;

FIG. 48 is a fragmentary, partially exploded, orthogonal view ofportions of the door panel and latch assemblies of FIGS. 45-47;

FIG. 49 is a fragmentary, rear cross-sectional view of portions of thedoor panel and latch assemblies of FIGS. 45-47;

FIG. 50 is a fragmentary, partially exploded, orthogonal view ofportions of the door panel and the lower hinge assemblies of FIGS.45-47;

FIG. 51 is a bottom orthogonal view of the lower right hinge body ofFIG. 50;

FIG. 52 is a side cross-sectional view of portions of the door panel andone of the lower hinge assemblies of FIG. 50, taken along line 52-52;

FIG. 53 is a fragmentary, partially-exploded, isometric view of thelower portion of the cable manager of FIG. 2;

FIG. 54 is an enlarged view of portions of the view of FIG. 53, shownwith the cross bar removed;

FIG. 55 is a side elevation view of the lifter disk of FIG. 54;

FIG. 56 is a bottom orthogonal view of the lifter disk of FIG. 54;

FIG. 57 is a fragmentary top isometric view of a portion of the distalend of the lower right support arm of FIG. 53;

FIG. 58 is a fragmentary bottom isometric view of a portion of thedistal end of the lower right support arm of FIG. 53;

FIG. 59 is a fragmentary top plan view of a portion of the distal end ofthe lower right support arm of FIG. 53;

FIG. 60 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of a portion of the distal endof the lower right support arm of FIG. 53;

FIG. 61 is a bottom isometric view of a lifter blank from one of theupper support arms of FIGS. 1 and 2; and

FIGS. 62A-66 are enlarged fragmentary front elevation views of the lowerleft corner of the cable manager of FIG. 1 with the door assembly shownin various states of operation.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

As a preliminary matter, it will readily be understood by one havingordinary skill in the relevant art (“Ordinary Artisan”) that the presentinvention has broad utility and application. Furthermore, any embodimentdiscussed and identified as being “preferred” is considered to be partof a best mode contemplated for carrying out the present invention.Other embodiments also may be discussed for additional illustrativepurposes in providing a full and enabling disclosure of the presentinvention. As should be understood, any embodiment may incorporate onlyone or a plurality of the above-disclosed aspects of the invention andmay further incorporate only one or a plurality of the above-disclosedfeatures. Moreover, many embodiments, such as adaptations, variations,modifications, and equivalent arrangements, will be implicitly disclosedby the embodiments described herein and fall within the scope of thepresent invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention is described herein in detailin relation to one or more embodiments, it is to be understood that thisdisclosure is illustrative and exemplary of the present invention, andis made merely for the purposes of providing a full and enablingdisclosure of the present invention. The detailed disclosure herein ofone or more embodiments is not intended, nor is to be construed, tolimit the scope of patent protection afforded the present invention,which scope is to be defined by the claims and the equivalents thereof.It is not intended that the scope of patent protection afforded thepresent invention be defined by reading into any claim a limitationfound herein that does not explicitly appear in the claim itself.

Thus, for example, any sequence(s) and/or temporal order of steps ofvarious processes or methods that are described herein are illustrativeand not restrictive. Accordingly, it should be understood that, althoughsteps of various processes or methods may be shown and described asbeing in a sequence or temporal order, the steps of any such processesor methods are not limited to being carried out in any particularsequence or order, absent an indication otherwise. Indeed, the steps insuch processes or methods generally may be carried out in variousdifferent sequences and orders while still falling within the scope ofthe present invention. Accordingly, it is intended that the scope ofpatent protection afforded the present invention is to be defined by theappended claims rather than the description set forth herein.

Additionally, it is important to note that each term used herein refersto that which the Ordinary Artisan would understand such term to meanbased on the contextual use of such term herein. To the extent that themeaning of a term used herein—as understood by the Ordinary Artisanbased on the contextual use of such term—differs in any way from anyparticular dictionary definition of such term, it is intended that themeaning of the term as understood by the Ordinary Artisan shouldprevail.

Regarding applicability of 35 U.S.C. § 112, ¶6, no claim element isintended to be read in accordance with this statutory provision unlessthe explicit phrase “means for” or “step for” is actually used in suchclaim element, whereupon this statutory provision is intended to applyin the interpretation of such claim element.

Furthermore, it is important to note that, as used herein, “a” and “an”each generally denotes “at least one,” but does not exclude a pluralityunless the contextual use dictates otherwise. Thus, reference to “apicnic basket having an apple” describes “a picnic basket having atleast one apple” as well as “a picnic basket having apples.” Incontrast, reference to “a picnic basket having a single apple” describes“a picnic basket having only one apple.”

When used herein to join a list of items, “or” denotes “at least one ofthe items,” but does not exclude a plurality of items of the list. Thus,reference to “a picnic basket having cheese or crackers” describes “apicnic basket having cheese without crackers,” “a picnic basket havingcrackers without cheese,” and “a picnic basket having both cheese andcrackers.” Finally, when used herein to join a list of items, “and”denotes “all of the items of the list.” Thus, reference to “a picnicbasket having cheese and crackers” describes “a picnic basket havingcheese, wherein the picnic basket further has crackers,” as well asdescribes “a picnic basket having crackers, wherein the picnic basketfurther has cheese.”

Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent likecomponents throughout the several views, one or more preferredembodiments of the present invention are next described. The followingdescription of one or more preferred embodiment(s) is merely exemplaryin nature and is in no way intended to limit the invention, itsapplication, or uses.

FIG. 1 is a front isometric view of a cable manager 10 in accordancewith a preferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is afront isometric view of the cable manager 10 of FIG. 1, shown with acover removed to reveal a backbone assembly 20 and an accessory rodassembly 40. As shown, elements of the cable manager 10 include, or mayinclude, a backbone assembly 20, side walls 12, side wall cable fingerunits 16, support arms 11, at least one cross bar 17, and a doorassembly 18. In some embodiments, the cable manager 10 also includes, ormay include, various cable management accessories, which may include oneor more accessory rod assemblies 40, one or more half spools 60, one ormore repositionable cable finger accessories 70, and/or one or morecable strap/buckle accessories 90, as well as other accessories.

The cable manager 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 is often used with racks,enclosures, and other equipment to address the needs of cable routingto, from, and around such equipment. In this regard, FIG. 3 is a frontisometric view of the cable manager 10 of FIG. 1, shown attached to atwo-post mounting rack 13. It will be appreciated, however, that thecable manager 10 may be used with other equipment or in some cases evenwithout any other adjacent equipment. Furthermore, it will beappreciated that many of the features of the cable manager 10 may beincorporated into other IT structures, such as electronic equipmentenclosures, and even into some non-IT structures.

It will be also appreciated that many or all of the features of thecable manager 10 of FIGS. 1 and 2 may be incorporated into double-sidedcable managers and other structures. For example, FIG. 4A is anisometric view of a double-sided cable manager 210 in accordance with apreferred embodiment of the present invention, and FIG. 4B is anisometric close-up partial view of the double-sided cable manager 210 ofFIG. 4A.

FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the backbone assembly 20 of FIG. 2.As shown therein, the backbone assembly 20 includes a spine member 24and a plurality of lateral members 23. In at least some embodiments,each spine member 24 and lateral member 23 utilizes an extrudedconstruction, and in at least some of these embodiments, each spinemember 24 and lateral member 23 utilize the same cross-section. In thisregard, FIG. 6 is an end view of an extrusion 30 used for the spinemember 24 and lateral members 23 of FIG. 5. The extrusion 30 includesone or more fastener screw-in channels 31, one or more T-slot channels32 with internal ledges 35, one or more additional ledges 33, andopposed sides having curvature of a minimum radius 34. The screw-inchannels 31 are able to receive and retain screw-in fasteners, while theT-slot channels 32 are able to receive and retain the head of a bolt orother fastener, and/or, in a preferred embodiment, are able to receiveand retain a drop-in nut or the like. In the illustrated embodiment (andwith further reference to FIG. 7, discussed below), spring nuts 21 arereceived in the T-slot channels 32 and positioned in their desiredlocations along such channels 32 with the spring portion of the springnuts helping to hold them in place via interference fit.

Interconnection between each lateral member 23 and spine member 24 maybe facilitated using a mounting bracket 25. In this regard, FIG. 7 is anexploded fragmentary orthogonal view of upper portions of the backboneassembly 20 of FIG. 5. The mounting bracket 25, which may be made ofsheet metal, preferably includes a raised lip 22, apertures 26,27, andcorresponding fasteners 28,29. The raised lip 22 may help align thebracket 25 along a side of lateral member 23 (and/or along an end of thespine member 24). A first set of fasteners 28 extend throughcorresponding apertures 26 and into the screw-in channels 31 in theextrusion 30, while a second set of fasteners 29 extend throughcorresponding apertures 27 and into the spring nuts 21 located in aT-slot channel 32 of the lateral member 23.

By using an extruded construction, the end of a spine member 24 may bepositioned at any desired location along the length of the lateralmember 23, with adjustment of such position being infinite along thelength. Thus, although the spine member 24 in FIG. 5 is shown as beingcentered between the top and bottom lateral members 23, it will beappreciated that the spine member 24 may be installed or repositionedelsewhere. For example, FIG. 8 is a front elevation view of the backboneassembly 20 of FIG. 2, shown with the spine member 24 disposed toward aside thereof. Furthermore, additional spine members 24 may be added ifdesired. For example, FIG. 9 is a front elevation view of the backboneassembly 20 of FIG. 8, shown with two spine members 24 installed betweenthe top and bottom lateral members 23.

FIG. 10 is an orthogonal view of a pair of support arms 11 of the cablemanager 10 of FIG. 1. The support arms 11 include first and secondradiused surfaces 36,37, fittings 38 for connection to the side walls12, a lateral member interface 39, and a door support 53. The radiusedsurfaces 36,37 provide proper curvature for cables routed out of the top(or bottom) of the cable manager 10. The lateral member interface 38 maybe connected to an end of a lateral member 23 via fasteners (not shown)inserted into the screw-in channels 31 thereof. Details of the doorsupports 53, which interface with hinge assemblies 130 on the doorassembly 18, are provided below.

Advantageously, various embodiments of the cable manager design of thepresent invention use a combination of extruded, die-cast,injection-molded and sheet-metal parts to provide tracks for attachingaccessories and other parts or equipment. This allows “infinite”installation and adjustment of accessories along the track andfacilitates the use of clamps or other attachment methods that caneliminate the need for hardware. Features for maintaining bend radii,attaching accessories, doors and other peripheral parts can beintegrated into the extruded, die-cast or injection-molded parts of theframe to further increase the functionality and flexibility of themanager when compared to sheet-metal designs. The arms and extrusionsfurther provide gentle cable entry and exit guides to maintain cablebend radii and support. These parts and features can also be applied ina double-sided configuration where cable or equipment management isdesired within or around both the front and rear portions of themanager.

FIG. 11 is an enlarged orthogonal view of a portion of the accessory rodassembly 40 of FIG. 2, shown mounted on a spine member 24 of thebackbone assembly 20, while FIG. 12 is a front view of the accessory rodassembly 40 of FIG. 11, shown with the end cap 45 removed, and FIG. 13is an exploded orthogonal view of the accessory rod assembly 40 of FIG.11, shown in isolation. As shown in FIGS. 11, 12, and 13, the accessoryrod assembly 40 includes a base member 41, a knob 42, a rod 43, one ormore fasteners 44, and an end cap 45. The knob 42 is threaded into thebase member 41 such that a distal end 46 of the threaded portion 47 ofthe knob 42 can be tightened against a corresponding portion of a spinemember 24 or other structure. The threaded portion 48 of the base member41 has a tapered, angled exterior surface to provide minimum curvaturein the area where the knob 42 connects to the base member 41, and ashroud 49 is provided to interface with the underside of the knob 42 soas to shield cables (not shown) from being abraded or being pinched orcaught by the knob threads. The function and operation of the knob 42are described below.

FIG. 14 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view of the accessory rodassembly 40 and spine member 24 of FIG. 12, taken along line 14-14. Asshown therein, the base member 41 is held in place on the spine member24 via hooks 51 extending from the rear of the base member 41 and by thedistal end 46 of the knob 42. The hooks 51 fit around ledges 33,35 ofthe spine member 24, while the distal end 46 of the knob 42 is pressedagainst a wall 52 of the T-slot channel 32, thus holding the hooks 51 inplace. Although not specifically illustrated, the accessory rod assembly40 may likewise be mounted on a lateral member 23 of the backboneassembly 20.

Advantageously, the knob 42 facilitates the easy attachment, removal,and/or repositioning of the accessory rod assembly 40 to or on the spinemember 24. In this regard, FIG. 15 is a fragmentary top cross-sectionalview similar to that of FIG. 14, but with the knob 42 unscrewed toremove the bearing surface of the distal end 46 from the T-slot channelwall 52, and FIG. 16 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view similarto that of FIG. 15, but with the entire accessory rod assembly 40shifted sideways to permit removal or movement thereof. Once theaccessory rod assembly 40 is in the desired located along the spinemember 24 or lateral member 23, it may be installed by reversing theprocess of FIGS. 14-16 such that the hooks 51 are engaged on the ledges33,35 and the knob 42 screwed inward until the distal end 46 bearsagainst the T-slot channel wall 52.

In at least some embodiments, the rod 43 utilizes an extrudedconstruction. In this regard, FIG. 17 is a front cross-sectional view ofthe accessory rod 43 of FIG. 13, taken along line 17-17, shown inisolation. As shown therein, the rod 43 has a generally uniformcross-section and includes a partially cylindrical overall profile, oneor more drop-in T-slot channels 54 formed by ledges 57, one or morefastener screw-in channels 55 that may or may not be extensions of theT-slot channels 54, and a plurality of grip channels 56. The fastenerscrew-in channels 55 are used to attach the rod 43 to the base member 41via fasteners 44, while the T-slot channels 54 and grip channels 56 maybe utilized to attach other structures to the rods 43. The T-slotchannels 54 may be utilized conventionally, wherein structures areattached to the rod 43 using fasteners (not shown) where either the headof a fastener, or a threaded nut or similar structure that receives afastener, is inserted into a T-slot channel 54 and tightened. However,various accessories are known or may be designed to utilize the T-slotchannels 54 and/or grip channels 56 in novel ways. Some such examples ofvarious accessories are further described below.

FIG. 18 is an enlarged orthogonal view of a portion of an alternativeaccessory rod assembly 240, for use in the cable manager 10 of FIG. 2,shown mounted on a spine member 24 of the backbone assembly 20, whileFIG. 19 is a front view of the accessory rod assembly 240 of FIG. 18,shown with the end cap 45 removed, and FIG. 20 is an exploded orthogonalview of the accessory rod assembly 240 of FIG. 18, shown in isolation.As shown in FIGS. 18, 19, and 20, the accessory rod assembly 240includes a base member 241, a cam lever 242, a rod 43, one or morefasteners 44, and an end cap 45. The cam lever 242 includes a cam 246and a snap feature 247, and the base member 241 includes a snapreceptacle 248. The snap feature 247 is installed in, and rotateswithin, the snap receptacle 248, thus allowing rotation of the cam lever242 relative to the base member 241. However, other attachment means maybe used instead of the snap feature 247 and snap receptacle 248 (so longas they allow rotation). The function and operation of the cam lever 242are described below.

FIG. 21 is a fragmentary top cross-sectional view of the accessory rodassembly 240 and spine member 24 of FIG. 19, taken along line 21-21. Asshown therein, the base member 241 is held in place on the spine member24 via hooks 251 extending from the rear of the base member 241 and bythe cam 246. The hooks 251 fit around ledges 33,35 of the spine member24, while one or both cam teeth 249 of the cam 246 are pressed against awall 52 of the T-slot channel 32, thus holding the hooks 251 in place.Although not specifically illustrated, the accessory rod assembly 240may likewise be mounted on a lateral member 23 of the backbone assembly20.

Advantageously, the cam lever 242 facilitates the easy attachment,removal, and/or repositioning of the accessory rod assembly 240 to or onthe spine member 24. In this regard, FIG. 22 is a fragmentary topcross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 21, but with the cam leverrotated upward to remove the bearing surface of the cam teeth 249 fromthe T-slot channel wall 52, and FIG. 23 is a fragmentary topcross-sectional view similar to that of FIG. 22, but with the entireaccessory rod assembly 240 shifted sideways to permit removal ormovement thereof. Once the accessory rod assembly 240 is in the desiredlocated along the spine member 24 or lateral member 23, it may beinstalled by reversing the process of FIGS. 21-23 such that the hooks251 are engaged on the ledges 33,35 and the cam lever 242 rotated untilthe cam teeth 249 bear against the T-slot channel wall 52.

FIGS. 24 and 25 are a top front isometric view and a front elevationview, respectively, of the half-spool accessory 60 of FIG. 2. Thisaccessory, which may be particularly suitable for routing large numbersof cables within the cable manager 10, includes a central portion 61 forcarrying cables, front and rear end flanges 62,63 to help retain cablesaround or within the central spool portion 61, one or more standoffs 64,a plurality of resilient snaps 65, and one or more finger grips 66. Thestandoffs 64 (one shown in FIG. 25, but there may be more than one) helpposition the accessory 60 against the rod 43 of the accessory rodassembly 40, and may include a correspondingly curved surface 67 toprovide a better fit against the surface of the rod 43. The resilientsnaps 65 retain the accessory 60 on the rod 43, while the finger grips66 provide a more convenient surface or edge for a user to grasp inorder to remove the accessory 60 from the rod 43, all as furtherdescribed below. The central portion 61 is preferably cylindrical (i.e.,forms a portion of a cylinder) and conforms to industry cable bendradius standards. The joints between the central portion 61 and thearcuate flanges 62,63 are preferably also arcuate.

FIGS. 26-28 are front views illustrating the installation of half-spoolaccessories 60 on a rod 43, for example of the accessory rod assembly40, which is shown in isolation and in cross-section. In FIG. 26, afirst half-spool 60 is shown angled so that the snap(s) 65 along oneside thereof can be hooked underneath a ledge 57 of the T-shaped channel54 of the rod 43. With the first snap(s) 65 positioned, the accessory 60may be rotated in the direction of the arrow until the snap(s) 65 alongthe other side are deflected sufficiently to allow them to latch intoplace around a ledge 57 on the opposite side of the rod 43, as shown inFIG. 27. A second accessory 60 can be installed in the same manner, asshown in FIG. 28, thereby allowing the creation of a nearly-completecylinder through the combination of the respective central portions 61in close proximity to one another.

Each half-spool accessory 60 may be removed in at least two ways. First,by gripping the accessory 60, such as via the finger grips 66, andpulling and/or twisting with sufficient force to deflect the snaps 65along at least one side of the accessory 60, the accessory may beremoved by reversing the steps used to attach it. Second, because therod 43 is of extruded construction, the accessory 60 may be removed bypulling it along the length of the rod 43 until it slips off the endthereof. In some embodiments, the end cap 45 of the accessory rodassembly 40 may be detached to facilitate such removal, while in otherembodiments, the shape of the end cap 45 is selected such that the snaps65 can be pulled off the rod 43 without removal of the end cap 45.

FIGS. 29A and 29B are a top front isometric view and a front elevationview, respectively, of the cable finger accessory 70 of FIG. 2, shown inan open, unclamped state. This accessory 70, which may be particularlysuitable as a stable structure to which smaller numbers of cables may beattached in a variety of ways, includes a plurality of semi-arcuateclamp sections 71,72, at least one of which has a finger 73 extendingtherefrom, that are connected together via a hinge 74 so as to rotaterelative to one another. The accessory further includes a clampmechanism that includes a cam lever link 75 connected to the distal endof one of the clamp sections 71 via another hinge 76, a cam lever 77,including a cam structure 85, connected to the distal end of the camlever link 75 by a third hinge 78, and a cam trough 79 extending fromthe distal end of the other clamp section 72. As shown in FIG. 29A, thecam trough 79 preferably includes a notch 84 for receiving the cam leverlink 75 as further described below. A latch mechanism, which may forexample include a male snap structure 81 on the cam lever 77 and afemale snap receptacle 82 on one of the clamp sections 72, is preferablyprovided to assist in holding the accessory 70 in place. Furthermore,locating ribs or other structures 83 may be provided to help preventrotation of the accessory 70 when clamped in place. In at least someembodiments, each hinge 74,76,78 used a steel hinge spring pin seated inapertures in the respective structures, but other hinge designs andmaterials may alternatively be utilized. In at least some embodiments,the other components are all made of injection-molded PC/ABS, but otherthermoplastic polymers and other materials may additionally oralternatively be utilized.

FIGS. 30-33 are front views illustrating the installation of a cablefinger accessory 70 on a rod 43, for example of the accessory rodassembly 40, which is shown in isolation and in cross-section. In FIG.30, the open, unclamped accessory 70 is shown being positioned on therod 43. As indicated by the arrows, the accessory 70 may be rotatedaround the rod 43 until the desired orientation is achieved. The ribs 83on the first clamp 71 are seated in corresponding grip channels 56 inthe rod 43. Subsequent or simultaneous with positioning the accessory70, the second section can be rotated toward the rod 43(counterclockwise in FIG. 21) and the cam lever 77 and lever link 75 canbe rotated in the opposite direction (clockwise in FIG. 21), asindicated by the arrows. As shown in FIG. 32, once the proximal end ofthe lever 77 is close enough to the cam trough 79 on the second clampsection 72, the lever link 75 fits into the notch 84 in the cam trough79, the proximal end of the lever 77 is received in the cam trough 79itself. With the proximal end of the lever 77 seated in the trough 79,the cam lever 77 may be rotated further toward the second clamp section78, as shown by the arrow in FIG. 33. Rotation of the cam lever 77causes the cam structure 85 to rotate within the trough 79, therebycausing camming action by the cam 85 against the trough and forcing thesecond clamp section 78 against the rod 43. As this happens, the malesnap structure 81 is forced into the female snap receptacle 82 until itlatches into place. When the lever 77 is fully seated against the secondclamp section 72, the clamp section will be pressed against the rod 43with the locating ribs 83 on the clamp section 72 pressed into thecorresponding grip channels 56 in the rod 43. In this state, the cablefinger accessory 70 is fully clamped on the rod 43, with the camstructure 85 and latch mechanism holding the accessory 70 around theclamp and the locating ribs 83 preventing the accessory 70 from beingfurther rotated unintentionally. The accessory 70 may then be removed orrepositioned by releasing the latch mechanism and loosening the camlever 77 until the accessory 70 can be moved accordingly.

The cable finger 73 includes a plurality of apertures 167. In theillustrated embodiment, apertures 167 are spaced apart along the lengthof the cable finger 73, and another aperture 167 is disposed at thedistal end the cable finger 73. These apertures 167 may be particularlyuseful as mounting locations. For example, as described in greaterdetail below, it is contemplated that the cable finger accessory 70 isequipped to accommodate a cable strap/buckle accessory 90 (or anotheraccessory) at multiple positions along the length of the cable finger 73(at either side thereof) or at the distal end of the cable finger 73.Further control may be provided by an overhang 171 at the distal end ofthe cable finger 73, which may help prevent cables or groups of cablesfrom becoming inadvertently tangled or removed by sliding off the distalend of the cable finger 73.

FIG. 34 is a perspective view of the cable strap/buckle accessory 90 ofFIG. 2. This accessory 90, which may be particularly suitable as aflexibly-located, quickly-installed structure for holding bundles ofcables, includes a buckle 91, a buckle support 92, and a strap 93. Thestrap 93 may be any conventional strap, such as a hook-and-loop (e.g.,Velcro®) strap, zip tie, or the like. FIGS. 35-37 are an exploded topisometric view, an exploded bottom isometric view, and an elevationview, respectively, of a cable strap/buckle accessory 90 of FIG. 2. Asshown therein, the buckle 91 includes a base 94 and two raised slots 95.The base 94 is penetrated by a round socket 96, and two coaxial arcuatebosses 97 extend from the bottom of the base 94. The buckle support 92includes a mounting boss 103 (described below), and a round, resilientsnap 98, which is preferably a split snap, that corresponds in size tothe socket 96 of the buckle 91. The snap 98 may be snapped or latchedinto the socket 96 by aligning them and applying sufficient force todeflect the split snap sections inward an amount sufficient to let thempass through the socket 96. Angled surfaces 102 on the top of the snap98 and similarly-angled surfaces 101 on the underside of the buckle base94 make this easier. Once the snap 98 penetrates the socket 96sufficiently, ledges 99 on the underside of the snap sections 98 retainthe snap in place. Ridges 177 arranged along side edges of the bucklesupport 92 provide a surface that is easier to grip or manipulate duringinstallation or use. FIG. 37 is a side elevation view of the buckle 91and buckle support 92 of FIGS. 34-36, shown in an assembled state.

The accessory 90 may be installed in any of a variety of locations inthe cable manager 10 or other location. For example, FIGS. 38A and 38Bare top views illustrating the installation of a cable strap/buckleaccessory 90 on the spine member 24 of FIG. 2, which is shown inisolation and in cross-section. As perhaps best shown in FIG. 36, themounting boss 103 is a four-sided rectangular structure with two roundcorners 104 and two generally square, or right-angle, corners 105. Whenoriented with the narrow portion of the rectangular mounting boss 103along the T-slot channel 32 in the spine member 24, the mounting boss103 may be inserted into the channel 32 (or into a similar structure ina lateral member 23 or other member, or into other channels, openings,or the like), as shown in FIG. 38A. Once inserted, the buckle support 92may be rotated approximately 90 degrees, preferably in a clockwisedirection, such that the wide portion of the rectangular mounting boss103 is held in place (blocked from removal) by the ledges 35 of thechannels 32, as shown in FIG. 38B. Such rotation and subsequent “lockingin place” is facilitated by the round corners 104 (which make it easy toturn the buckle support 92 in the preferred direction) and the squarecorners 105 prevent further rotation and help hold the mounting boss 103in place. The accessory 90 may then be removed by reversing thedirection of rotation of the buckle support 92 in the oppositedirection. The round corners 104 of the mounting boss 103 permit suchrotation to occur, and when the narrow portion of the mounting boss 103is once again aligned with the opening of the channel 32, the accessorycan be removed.

It will also be appreciated that the round snap 98 and socket 96, aswell as coaxial arcuate bosses 97 and trough or slot 100, allow rotationof the buckle 91 relative to the buckle support 92. In some embodimentssuch rotation can occur whether the buckle support 92 is installed,while in some embodiments, such rotation can occur only when it isinstalled, and in some embodiments such rotation can occur only when itis not installed. Rotation is possible because the arcuate bosses 97 arecoaxial with the socket 96, and the trough or slot 100 is coaxial withthe snap 98, such that latching the snap and socket together also causesthe arcuate bosses 97 to be located in the trough or slot 100. Onceassembled into the state shown in FIG. 37, the buckle 91 may be rotatedrelative to the buckle support 92 by rotating the buckle base 94 aroundthe snap 98 as the arcuate bosses 97 move within the circular trough orslot 100. An example of such rotation is shown in FIG. 39, which is afragmentary front view of the accessory 90 and spine member 24 of FIG.38B. As indicated by the arrow, the buckle 91 may be rotated eitherclockwise or counterclockwise about the snap 98 of the buckle support92.

The accessory 90 may also be installed and used in a variety ofdifferent locations on the cable finger accessory 70 of FIGS. 29A-33.For example, FIGS. 40A and 40B are front views of a cable strap/buckleaccessory 90 being mounted on the cable finger accessory 70 and rod 43of FIG. 33. As noted previously, the cable finger 73 includes aplurality of apertures 167 spaced apart along the length of the cablefinger 73, and another aperture 167 disposed at the distal end the cablefinger 73. Each of the apertures 167 can be used to secure a cablestrap/buckle accessory 90 to the cable finger accessory 70. Depending onthe position and spacing of the apertures 167, some or all of theapertures 167 may be used at once. The apertures 167 are depicted asgenerally rectangular-shaped apertures, but other shapes are likewisecontemplated. In at least some embodiments, a set of locating ribs 169is disposed adjacent each aperture on one side of the cable finger 73 orthe other; these ribs 169 can be used to align a fastener or some othermounting structure in order to facilitate securement of a separate cablestrap/buckle accessory 90 to the cable finger accessory 70. In someembodiments, such ribs 169 are provided on both sides (front and rear)of the cable finger 73; in other embodiments, no ribs are provided atall. In at least some embodiments, a cable strap/buckle accessory 90 maybe installed on either side of each aperture 167 based on the preferenceof the user, each aperture 167 may be used only from one side or theother.

When installed on a cable finger accessory 70, the cable strap/buckleaccessory 90 makes it easier to retain and manage bundles of cables. Inparticular, when oriented properly, the mounting boss 103 of the bucklesupport 92 can be received within one of the apertures 167 of the cablefinger 73, as shown in FIG. 40A. Once received within an aperture 167,the mounting boss 103 is rotatable in one direction (preferablyclockwise), as shown in FIG. 40B, so that the boss 103 is seated betweenlocating ribs 169 at either side thereof, thereby providing a fixedposition for the boss 103 between the ribs 169 and also frictionallyclamping the boss 103 and buckle support 92 around the cable finger 73.Removal of the cable strap/buckle accessory 90 can be accomplished byreversing the process so that the mounting boss 103 is aligned with theshape of the aperture 167 to permit it to be removed therefrom. As canbe seen in FIG. 29A, apertures 167 are spaced apart along the length ofthe cable finger 73, and another aperture 167 is disposed at the distalend the cable finger 73. In this regard, it is contemplated that thecable finger accessory 70 is equipped to accommodate a cablestrap/buckle accessory 90 (or another accessory) at multiple positionsalong the length of the cable finger 73 (at either side thereof) or atthe distal end of the cable finger 73.

FIGS. 41-43 are perspective views of the cable strap/buckle accessory 90of FIG. 34 illustrating the attachment of the strap 93 to the buckle 91.As shown in FIG. 41, an end of the strap 93 may be inserted through thetwo raised slots 95. Once the strap 93 is fully inserted through theslots 95 and positioned as desired, as shown in FIG. 42, the ends may bepulled up, out, back, or the like and closed together, as shown in FIG.43. Hook-and-loop fasteners or the like may be provided to facilitatethe strap ends being fastened together, or other devices may beutilized. Such a strap 93 is very useful for holding a bundle of cablestogether.

FIG. 44 is a fragmentary perspective view of an upper corner of a cablemanager 10 like that shown in FIG. 2 but with various accessories andcable bundles 19 installed therein. The accessories include an accessoryrod assembly 40, two cable finger accessories 70, and three cablestrap/buckle accessories 90.

Advantageously, various embodiments of the cable manager design of thepresent invention use a series of extrusions to allow toollessinstallation, adjustment and removal of cable manager accessories.Accessories can be “infinitely” adjusted along the extrusions so theycan reach a much larger portion of the space in and around the manager.The extrusions themselves can also be adjusted within the manager to anydesired location. The invention includes several different accessoriesthat may be toollessly installed, adjusted, and removed andcorresponding methods with which they may be used. The toollessinstallation of these accessories improves usability and makesinstallation, adjustment and removal much faster and easier.

Referring back to FIG. 1, the cable manager 10 includes, in at leastsome embodiments, a door assembly 18. FIGS. 45-47 are a front elevationview, a rear elevation view, and an enlarged fragmentary rear elevationview, respectively, of the door assembly 18 of FIG. 1. As shown therein,the door assembly 18 includes a door panel 108 having a hinge set alongeach side and a corresponding latch assembly 110 for each hinge set. Asused herein, the term “door panel” refers generally to the portion ofthe door assembly 18 that swings back and forth relative to the hinges,and may include a plurality of individual panels as well as a variety ofother structure. Each hinge set includes a top and bottom hinge assembly130 that is operationally connected to a respective latch assembly 110.Because each side of the door panel 108 includes its own hinge set andlatch assembly 110, the door assembly 18 may be hinged open from eitherside, and/or the door panel 108 may be removed completely, as shown inFIG. 2. Although shown as part of the cable manager 10, it will beappreciated that the latch assemblies 110 and hinge sets could be usedon other cable managers and/or on any variation of electronic equipment(IT) cabinet or enclosure, or at least some other applications, where itis desired to have a door that hinges opens from either side.

FIGS. 48 and 49 are a fragmentary, partially exploded, orthogonal viewand a fragmentary, rear cross-sectional view, respectively, of portionsof the door panel 108 and latch assemblies 110 of FIGS. 45-47. As showntherein, each latch assembly 110 includes a latch handle 111, a pair ofracks 114, a pair of lock rods 115, a pair of compression springs 116,and a gear 117, all contained in a latch housing 113. The latch housing113 preferably includes two substantially identical halves that are heldtogether with assembly screws 112. The handle 111 is connected to thegear 117 by an assembly screw or other axle 119. The racks 114, whichinclude an upper rack and a lower rack, are disposed on either side ofthe gear 117 such that the teeth of each rack mesh with the teeth of thegear 117. Rotation of the gear 117 is thus linked to upward and downwardmovement of the racks 114. To facilitate movement, each rack 114includes lengthwise ears 120 that ride in tracks 118 formed in bothhalves of the housing 113. A compression spring 116 is disposed at theproximal end of at least one of the racks 114, while the distal end ofeach rack 114 is attached to a proximal end of a respective lock rod115. In operation, movement of the handle 111 turns the gear 117, whichin turn effectuates upward and downward movement of the racks 114 intheir tracks 118, thereby moving the lock rods 115 up and down.

In at least some embodiments, the door panel 108 and frame are made ofsheet metal and steel tube, but other designs and materials mayalternatively be utilized. In at least some embodiments, the lock rods115 are made of aluminum, but other designs and materials mayalternatively be utilized. In at least some embodiments, the screws112,119 and springs 116 are made of steel, but other designs andmaterials may alternatively be utilized. In at least some embodiments,the other components are all made of injection-molded PC/ABS, but otherthermoplastic polymers and other materials may additionally oralternatively be utilized.

FIG. 50 is a fragmentary, partially exploded, orthogonal view ofportions of the door panel 108 and the lower hinge assemblies 130 ofFIGS. 45-47. Each hinge assembly 130 includes a hinge body 133 thatcarries a bolt 131 in a central cavity 135. FIG. 51 is a bottomorthogonal view of the lower right hinge body 133 of FIG. 50, and FIG.52 is a side cross-sectional view of portions of the door panel 108 andone of the lower hinge assemblies 130 of FIG. 50, taken along line52-52. (It will be appreciated that the hinge body 133 in the lowerleft-hand corner of FIG. 50 is a mirror image of the hinge body 133 inthe lower right-hand corner, and that some of the other components ofeach hinge assembly 130 are likewise left- or right-handed.) At itsproximal end, the bolt 131 receives the distal end of one of the lockrods 115, while at its distal end, the bolt 131 extends out of theopposite end of the hinge body 133. As shown in FIG. 52, the bolt 131includes an internal pin 143 that extends laterally through a slot 140in the lock rod 115 such that the lock rod 115 is free to movelongitudinally, relative to the bolt 131, over the length of the slot140. The bolt 131 is biased away from the end of the lock rod 115 by acompression spring 132 disposed between a boss or other structure 141 onthe end of the lock rod 115 and another internal pin 142 that extendsvertically within the bolt 131.

As perhaps best shown in FIG. 50, the hinge body 133 is fastened to thedoor panel 108 with assembly screws 136. With particular reference tothe arrangement shown in FIG. 52, the bolt 131 has vertical freedom ofmovement, relative to the hinge body 133, but its downward movement islimited by the interface between a tab 138 at the proximal end of thebolt 131 (the top of the bolt 131 in FIGS. 50 and 52) and the proximalend of the hinge body 133 (the top of the hinge body 133 in FIGS.50-52), and its upward movement is limited by the interface between thebolt strike 144 and another portion 139 of the hinge body 133. Contactbetween the bolt tab 138 and the hinge body 133 may be cushioned by abumper 134 of neoprene or other material in order to reduce noise,physical damage to the parts, and/or the like. Contact between the boltstrike 144 and the hinge body 133 is naturally cushioned by thecompression spring 132, but a bumper (not shown) may be utilized here aswell. Notably, when the bolt 131 is fully extended as shown in FIG. 52,a hinge pin cavity 145 is defined behind the bolt strike 144, within theend of the central cavity 135 of the hinge body 133.

The door assembly 18 may be mounted between the support arms 11 bymounting the hinge assemblies 130 between upper and lower hinge mounts160, each of which includes a lifter disk 150 or lifter blank 159 and alifter nest 162. In this regard, FIG. 53 is a fragmentary,partially-exploded, isometric view of the lower portion of the cablemanager 10 of FIG. 2, and FIG. 54 is an enlarged view of portions of theview of FIG. 53, shown with the cross bar 17 removed. As shown therein,a lifter disk 150 and corresponding torsion spring 158 are disposed in alifter nest 162 at the end of each lower support arm 11. FIGS. 55 and 56are a side elevation view and a bottom orthogonal view, respectively, ofthe lifter disk 150 of FIG. 54. (It will be appreciated that the lifterdisk 150 in the lower left-hand corner of FIG. 53 is a mirror image ofthe lifter disk 150 in FIG. 54, and that some of related components arelikewise left- or right-handed.) With reference to FIGS. 55 and 56, eachlifter disk 150 includes a lower bearing surface 151, a lifting ramp152, an engagement tooth 153, a raised bearing surface 154, a pair ofsnap tabs 155, a torsion spring arm catch 156, and a central opening157. As shown in FIG. 54, the lower bearing surface 151, the liftingramp 152, the engagement tooth 153, and the raised bearing surface 154are arranged axially around the central opening 157.

Each lifter nest 162 is disposed in or at the end of a correspondinglower support arm 11. In this regard, FIGS. 57-60 are a fragmentary topisometric view, a fragmentary bottom isometric view, a fragmentary topplan view, and a fragmentary bottom plan view, respectively, of aportion of the distal end of the lower right support arm 11 of FIG. 53.(Although not illustrated, the upper support arms 11 are identical in atleast some embodiments, except for left- and right-handedness, in orderto simplify manufacturing and reduce unique part count, but the uppersupport arms may alternatively be uniquely designed.) Arranged in thelifter nest 162 are a hinge pin 161, a snap slot 163 for each snap tab155 on the lifter disk 150, a torsion spring nest 164, a torsion springend catch 165, and a snap catch 166 at the end of each snap slot 163.The lifter disk 150 is positioned in the lifter nest 162 such that thehinge pin 161 extends upward through the central opening 157 of the disk150 and the snap tabs 155 extend through the snap slots 163 and areretained there. The torsion spring 158 is disposed in the torsion springnest 164 with one end held in the torsion spring end catch 165 (shown asa hole, but other a notch or other structure may be used) and the otherend held in the torsion spring arm catch 156 of the lifter disk 150(visible in FIG. 56). In this arrangement, the lifter disk 150 canrotate around the axis of the hinge pin 161, as limited by the snap tabs155 in the snap slots 163, but is biased in one direction by the torsionspring 158.

Each lifter disk 150 interfaces with the hinge body 133 and bolt 131 ofa respective bottom hinge assembly 130. With particular reference toFIG. 51, the hinge body 133 includes an engagement tooth 147, a lowerbearing surface 148, and an upper bearing surface 149. The profile ofthe engagement tooth 147 defines a lifting ramp 146. The door assembly18 may be installed on the bottom hinge pins 161 by setting the bottomof the door onto the lower cross bar 17 so that the hinge pins 161 slideup into the hinge pin cavities 145. When the door assembly 18 is ininstalled and is positioned in its closed state (shown in FIG. 1), andwhen the lifter disk 150 is in its biased orientation, the lower bearingsurface 148 of the hinge body 133 rests on the lower bearing surface 151of the lifter disk 150 and the upper bearing surface 149 of the hingebody 133 rests on top of the lifting ramp 146/engagement tooth 147 withthe lifting ramp 146 of the hinge body 133 in close proximity to thelifting ramp 152 of the lifter disk 150.

Although not illustrated in FIG. 53, a lifter blank 159 is disposed inor at the end of each upper support arm 11. In this regard, FIG. 61 is abottom isometric view of a lifter blank 159 from one of the uppersupport arms 11 of FIGS. 1 and 2. The lifter blank 159 includes abearing surface 172, a central opening 173, and a pair of snap tabs 155.Each lifter blank 159 is preferably disposed, in the orientation shownin FIG. 61, in a respective lifter nest 161 in the end of one of theupper support arms 11 such that the hinge pin 161 extends down throughthe central opening 173 of the blank 159. With the bottom of the doorassembly 18 installed on the lower hinge pins 161, the upper end of thedoor assembly 18 may be installed on the upper hinge pins 161 by pushingthe top of door assembly 18 toward the upper support arms 11 until thebolt strikes 144 make contact with the hinge pins 161. Because of thesloped surface of the bolt strike 144 and the sloped surface 168 on thetop of the hinge pins 161, each bolt 131 is driven into its hinge body133 (downward in the upper hinge assemblies 130), against the bias ofthe compression spring 132, until the bolt 131 clears the hinge pin 161.At this point, the bolt 131 springs outward again, driven by thecompression spring 132, and the hinge pin 161 settles into the hinge pincavity 145.

Once the door assembly 18 is installed, it may be opened along eitherside via the latch handle 111. When one of the latch handles 111 isrotated by a user, the corresponding gear 117 is likewise rotated(counterclockwise in FIG. 49), causing the racks 114 to be translatedinward against the bias of the compression springs 116. Inward movementof the racks 114 also causes the lock rods 115 on the selected side ofthe door assembly 18 to be pulled inward. At their distal ends, the lockrod slots 140 pull on the internal pins 143 of the bolts 131, retractingthe bolts 131 into the central cavities 135 of the hinge bodies 133.Once the bolts 131 have been retracted a sufficient distance to clearthe hinge pins 161, the door assembly 18 can be pulled open and rotatedabout the hinge assemblies 130 on the opposite side of the door assembly18.

While the bolts 131 are being retracted along one side of the doorassembly 18, the hinge assemblies 130, lifter disks 150, etc. along theother side of the door assembly 18 operate to facilitate rotation of thedoor assembly 18 about the hinge pins 161 with little interference fromthe bottom or sill of the door frame (i.e., the cross bar 17, the hingearea, etc). In this regard, FIGS. 62-66 are enlarged fragmentary frontelevation views of the lower left corner of the cable manager 10 of FIG.1 with the door assembly 18 shown in various states of operation. InFIG. 62, the door panel 108 is fully closed, the lifter disk 150 is inits natural state (i.e., rotated to its fullest extent by the torsionspring 158), and the hinge body 133 is resting on the lower bearingsurface 151 of the lifter disk 150. As the door panel 108 is opened, thehinge assembly 130 rotates around the hinge pin 161, and the hinge body133 is forced upward as its lifting ramp 146 makes contact with thelifting ramp 152 of the lifter disk 150, as shown in FIG. 62B. The hingebody 133 continues to be pushed upward by the lifting ramp 152 until itreaches the top thereof, as shown in FIG. 63. After that, furtherrotation of the door panel 108 moves the hinge body 133 past theengagement tooth 153 of the lifter disk 150 and allows the lower bearingsurface 148 of the hinge body 133 to drop down onto the raised bearingsurface 154 of the lifter disk 150, as shown in FIG. 64. The hinge body133 can then be rotated freely on the raised bearing surface 154 of thelifter disk 150, thereby permitting the door panel 108 to be rotated itis fully open, as shown in FIG. 65.

Advantageously, the geometry of the lifting disk 150 and hinge body 133serves to raise the bottom of the door panel 108 above the cross bar 17during most of the opening process, thus minimizing or eliminatingfrictional interference or “rub” between the bottom of the door panel108 and the cross bar 17. The ramp 152 of the disk 150 pushes the ramp146 of the hinge body 133 upward, as shown in FIG. 62B, and once thehinge body 133 clears the top of the ramp 152 and drops down to rest onthe raised bearing surface 154, the remainder of the opening process issmooth.

Notably, the lifter disk 150 generally remains stationary in its naturalstate during the entire opening process. However, when the door panel108 starts to close, the engagement tooth 147 (visible in FIG. 65) ofthe hinge body 133 eventually makes contact with the engagement tooth153 of the lifter disk 150 (the state shown in FIG. 64). At this point,the weight of the door panel 108 pushing down on the lifter disk 150tends to lock the engagement teeth 147,153 together, and further closingmovement of the door causes the lifter disk 150 to rotate with therotation of the door, against the biasing force of the torsion spring).Because the hinge body 133 is carried on the raised bearing surface 154of the lifter disk 150 as the lifter disk 150 rotates, the bottom of thedoor panel 108 remains elevated above the cross bar 17 and above theopposite side hinge area, thereby making it easier to close the doorpanel 180 without frictional interference. Notably, the hinge body 133and the rest of the hinge assembly 130 remain elevated even when thedoor panel 108 is fully closed and latched on the opposite side. Onlywhen the bolts 131 are retracted and the hinge assemblies 130 releasedfrom the hinge pins 161 (such as when a user wishes to open the doorassembly 18 in the opposite direction) is the hinge body 130 releasedfrom the engagement tooth 153 of the lifter disk 150, at which point thetorsion spring 158 biases the lifter disk 150 back to its natural state.

The latch assemblies 110, hinge assemblies 130, and hinge mounts 160implement a latch mechanism by using a biased bolt and pin, therebyproviding a slam function and keeping the door tightly closed. Asdescribed previously, the sloped surface of the bolt strike 144 collideswith the sloped surface 168 of the pin 161, thereby forcing the bolt 131into the hinge body 133 until the end of the bolt 131 clears the top ofthe pin 161, at which point it springs downward and traps the pin 161 inthe hinge pin cavity 145.

Many variations in the design of the door assemblies 18 and the hingeassemblies 130 and corresponding hinge mounts 160. Parts shown hereinmay be made of specific materials, but could be made of any othermaterial(s) that would be considered suitable or advantageous. In theparticular design shown and described herein, the lifter disk 150rotates relative to the end of the support arm 11, while the liftingramp 146 is static relative to the hinge body 133. It will beappreciated, however, that these features could be switched, with alifter disk (or its equivalent) carried by, and rotatable relative to,the hinge assembly or other portion of a door, and a lifting ramp thatis mounted on, and static relative to, an end of the support arm.

In the particular design shown and described herein, the liftingfunction is achieved using a lifter disk, which is implemented as arotational piece with a ramp and catch feature, wherein “tooth” geometryis provided on the hinge block and the lifter disk such that engagementbetween the structures rotates the lifter disk with the hinge when thedoor is closed. This tooth geometry is shown as an angled ramp surfacewith a radiused profile at the top and bottom of the ramp. In someembodiments, a rubber pad or other cushioning material or features couldalso be added in that area to soften the drop of the door duringengagement of the teeth on the hinge and lifter. Furthermore, in variousembodiments, the geometry could be changed in any way that still allowsengagement and for the hinge and lifter to catch. Still further, invarious embodiments, this function could be performed by any part on theframe or door that engages and disengages based on the current state ofthe door (opened left, opened right, closed, or the like). Such a partcould, in various embodiments, rotate around an axis that is differentfrom the one about which the door rotates, and in other embodimentscould slide or otherwise move in a linear or other motion.

In the particular design shown and described herein, the lifter disk 150is installed during general assembly of the cable manager 10 by simplysnapping it into position, but in other embodiments it could also beattached by any other mechanical means that allows it to rotate.Likewise, the hinge assemblies are shown as being attached to the doorusing assembly screws 136 but could also be attached using anotherfastening method such as rivets or a snap feature. The hinge assemblies130 and lifter disks 150 are shown as having left- and right-handedversions, but in other embodiments these elements could be designed tobe the same on each side. Similarly, although the left- and right-handedhinge assemblies 130 are the same both top and bottom, in otherembodiments they could be different. Still further, although lifterdisks 150 are used at the bottom and lifter blanks 159 are used incorresponding locations at the top, in other embodiments they could bedesigned to be the same both top and bottom.

The latch mechanism shown uses a bolt and pin to allow a slam functionand keep the door tightly closed. This also creates the axis aroundwhich the door hinges. However, in some embodiments, the latch mechanismcould instead have a hinge pin on the door that is drawn up and down bythe handle. This would interface with a corresponding hole, slot orfeature on the frame to hold in place when engaged.

The latch currently uses a gear and rack assembly which is driven by alatch handle to pull the lock rods and lock bolts toward the center ofthe door. In some embodiments, however, this part of the design could bemodified or replaced with any number of parts that perform the samefunction such as a simplified latch and lock rod assembly, a cableassembly, or any number of variations of latch assembly designs. Thelatch handle is shown as a lever on the rear face of the door, extendingtowards the outside edge. The handle, and corresponding latch assembly,could be placed on any face or edge of the door and be any geometry thatallows a user to turn, lift, slide or otherwise move the latch handle toengage and disengage the latch assembly.

Advantageously, various embodiments of the cable manager design of thepresent invention use a rotating lifter to lift the door as it isopened. After the door is opened past a certain point, the hinge and thelifter engage and the hinge-side of the door is raised. The door isstill in the raised state during the closing process, which enables thedoor to be closed without any interference with the frame or hinge areaon the latching side. This allows the door to swing smoothly and freely,when closing, all the way through latch engagement. Subsequently, whenthe door is opened in the opposite direction, the previously engagedlifter finally returns to its natural position and the door is liftedonto the opposite lifter on the new hinge-side of the door. Theinvention also includes several aspects of improved functionalitycompared to previous door hinge designs, including smooth slam-latchcapability. Various of these improvements are not limited to use with acable manager door, but may be used in doors for other electronicequipment structures and even, in some cases, for other structures.

Based on the foregoing information, it will be readily understood bythose persons skilled in the art that the present invention issusceptible of broad utility and application. Many embodiments andadaptations of the present invention other than those specificallydescribed herein, as well as many variations, modifications, andequivalent arrangements, will be apparent from or reasonably suggestedby the present invention and the foregoing descriptions thereof, withoutdeparting from the substance or scope of the present invention.

Accordingly, while the present invention has been described herein indetail in relation to one or more preferred embodiments, it is to beunderstood that this disclosure is only illustrative and exemplary ofthe present invention and is made merely for the purpose of providing afull and enabling disclosure of the invention. The foregoing disclosureis not intended to be construed to limit the present invention orotherwise exclude any such other embodiments, adaptations, variations,modifications or equivalent arrangements; the present invention beinglimited only by the claims appended hereto and the equivalents thereof.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of adapting an electronic equipmentstructure for cable management, the method comprising: providing a cablemanager having one or more cable finger units extending from a frame,the frame including at least one spine member having an extrudedconstruction and one or more ledges that extend along a length thereof;providing an accessory rod assembly having a base member and anaccessory rod, wherein the base member includes a front-facing socket, arear-facing hook, and a rotatable knob having a threaded end receivedwithin a threaded portion at a side of the base member, and wherein theaccessory rod has an extruded construction and a generally uniform, atleast partially cylindrical, cross-sectional shape; positioning therear-facing hook of the base member against one side of the one or moreledges of the at least one spine member; rotating the rotatable knobsuch that the threaded end is wound within the threaded portion of thebase member and bears on an opposite side of the one or more ledges ofthe at least one spine member, thereby clamping the at least one spinemember between the rear-facing hook and the rotatable knob; andpositioning a proximal end of the accessory rod within the front-facingsocket of the base member such that the accessory rod extends therefrominto a cable management space.
 2. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising repositioning the accessory rod assembly along the at leastone spine member by loosening the rotatable knob so that the threadedend no longer bears on the one or more ledges of the at least one spinemember, sliding the base member along the length of the at least onespine member to a different position, and tightening the rotatable knobso that the threaded end bears on the one or more ledges of the at leastone spine member at the different position.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the accessory rod includes an end cap fitted to a distal endthereof.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the threaded portion has atapered exterior surface to provide curvature to the base memberadjacent to the rotatable knob.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein thebase member includes a shroud surrounding the threaded portion toprotect against cables interfering with the rotatable knob.
 6. Themethod of claim 1, wherein the at least partially cylindricalcross-sectional shape includes a pair of drop-in T-slot channels, eachextending along a length of the accessory rod.
 7. The method of claim 6,wherein the at least partially cylindrical cross-sectional shapeincludes at least one fastener screw-in channel that extends along alength of the accessory rod.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the atleast one fastener screw-in channel is an extension of one of the pairof drop-in T-slot channels.
 9. The method of claim 7, further comprisingsecuring a separate hook in the at least one fastener screw-in channelat the proximal end of the accessory rod.
 10. The method of claim 9,further comprising positioning a hooking end of the separate hookagainst the one or more ledges of the at least one spine member.
 11. Themethod of claim 6, further comprising arranging a mounting boss of abuckle support within one of the pair of drop-in T-slot channels of theaccessory rod, the buckle support including a buckle that is rotatablypaired therewith.
 12. The method of claim 11, further comprisingslidably maneuvering the buckle support along at least a portion of alength of the accessory rod.
 13. The method of claim 1, furthercomprising attaching a half-spool accessory to the accessory rod. 14.The method of claim 13, further comprising slidably maneuvering thehalf-spool accessory along at least a portion of a length of theaccessory rod.
 15. The method of claim 1, further comprising securing acable finger accessory to the accessory rod.
 16. The method of claim 15,wherein the cable finger accessory includes a pair of hingedly-connectedarcuate clamp sections and a cable finger extending outwardly from oneof the pair of clamp sections, at least one of the pair ofhingedly-connected arcuate clamp sections including a plurality oflocating ribs on an inward-facing surface thereof.
 17. The method ofclaim 16, further comprising rotating the cable finger accessory aroundthe at least partially cylindrical cross-sectional shape of theaccessory rod to seat each of the plurality of locating ribs within arespective groove-shaped grip channel along the accessory rod, therebyindexing an orientation of the cable finger.
 18. The method of claim 15,further comprising slidably maneuvering the cable finger accessory alongat least a portion of a length of the accessory rod.
 19. A method ofadapting an electronic equipment structure for cable management, themethod comprising: providing a cable manager having one or more cablefinger units extending from a frame, the frame including at least onespine member having an extruded construction; providing an accessory rodassembly having a base member and an accessory rod, wherein the basemember includes a front-facing socket, a rear-facing hook, and arotatable knob, and wherein the accessory rod has an extrudedconstruction and a generally uniform, at least partially cylindrical,cross-sectional shape; positioning the base member such that a portionof the at least one spine member is located between the rear-facing hookand the rotatable knob; rotating the rotatable knob to clamp the portionof the at least one spine member between the rear-facing hook and adistal end of the rotatable knob; and positioning a proximal end of theaccessory rod within the front-facing socket of the base member suchthat the accessory rod extends therefrom into a cable management space.20. The method of claim 19, further comprising repositioning theaccessory rod assembly along the at least one spine member by looseningthe rotatable knob, sliding the base member along a length of the atleast one spine member to a different position, and tightening therotatable knob.